The movie Avatar has created quite a stir. I have many friends and family members who have seen it and reported that it is sensational, even the most amazing film they have ever seen...

We often hear reviews about films, music, books and other sources of entertainment. There are often criticisms of the piece: “the story was lame”; “the acting was unconvincing”; “the band couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” Usually people accept these criticisms with a generous spirit; sometimes they argue against them. Occasionally the critic is rejected simply for dampening the spirit of the fan, who begins to get “bummed” because of the critic’s threat to his positive feeling.

We can see these things occur just by critiquing what a particular entertainment offering is, but when we start giving thought to what it does, the stakes rise considerably. Once someone begins to focus on not just the nature of a piece of entertainment, but also its consequences, the air becomes charged with tension.  For now we’re not only talking about whether or not someone was entertained, but also about whether or not he was influenced by the product.  We understand the first question to be passive and harmless, but we’re very passionate about the second, because we all think we’re stronger than the manipulation exerted by the sexualized sales pitch of the latest deodorant commercial.

Now at this point some may be saying, “Surely a movie isn’t the same as a commercial.  I mean, a commercial’s very purpose is to advertise, but a movie exists just to…entertain, right?” Don’t believe it for a minute.  Just as there is no amoral commercial, so also there is no amoral film, song, or book. They all exert a moral influence, whether explicitly or implicitly—and sometimes the latter are all the more dangerous.

But after simple criticisms introduce the tension, and moral criticisms increase it, we can still ratchet up the tension even further. There’s always that one guy who will not only attack the morality of the film but will also in his attack claim an absolute authoritative understanding of what is morally acceptable. He will not simply imply that something is right or wrong in his view, but will actually claim that his view is the authoritative view. And by this piece of chutzpah he becomes the worst of the killjoys—the dogmatic one.  Why? Because his conviction calls into question every piece of entertainment anyone might encounter. Nothing can be sacred and safe any longer, can it?  Seriously, if he casts down Avatar, won’t Star Wars soon fall along with it?

Christians hate such killjoys. They bring such cosmic bummers. It’d be nice if someone would just throw such cosmic killjoys down a well, wouldn’t it?

But as soon as we begin to think these things, we need to take a look at ourselves.  How did we come to hate discernment so much? How have we come to the point where we, as believers belonging to Jesus Christ, despise hearing those who keep watch over our souls, as they expose the snares and pitfalls placed in our paths by the media? Why is the entertainment industry so skillful at trapping us?  And why have we neglected our responsibility to be vigilant for our own souls and the souls of others?

Thing is, we are worldly. If you haven’t heard this word before, it simply means that we have invested ourselves in this world, loving it to the neglect of the kingdom of God.  And God is not okay with worldliness:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

And now we’ve come upon part of our problem with killjoys.  When someone exposes the incompatibility in our lives between this world and the kingdom of God, we get angry.  We know we’ve been caught trying to have it both ways. We know that when we love this world we sin. But we often love it more than we love God, and so we hate it when the killjoy exposes our duplicity.

But we’ve really got it all backwards.  The pleasures of this world are fleeting, and in loving them we’re loving things that will only pass away.  Loving the things of God brings treasure that cannot be corrupted.  And when we seek first the kingdom of God, we have joy that no one can kill—and this brings a joy far greater than anything in the dreams of Avatar.

Pastoral note:

Do not despise the one who vigilantly watches over your soul. Thank God for him, and pray that God will protect him and strengthen him for the task.