Media Mania

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. (Daniel 11:32)

I want us to look at the media with an ancient eye, the Bible.

Have you ever examined the truth the media talks about? What is its relationship with the real truth? Have you read one story or news item from two newspapers and wondered why you are reading two unrelated stories sharing a few similar items? Or have you watched two events or news covered by different TV stations that look completely different? Maybe you have been to an event that on reading its reporting wonder whether it was another event they are reporting.

Truth in the media is relative and depends or several variables, key among them being editorial policy. Editorial policy simply represents whatever the one who pays the piper wants. Thus, if I own a media house, whatever will be covered and how it is covered MUST represent me and what I stand for. ‘Balance’ and ‘neutrality’ are things put to attract consumers, sponsors and advertisers.

Media represents the world and its standards. Secondly, it is an avenue for making some people insane amounts of money. And thirdly, it promotes values that have no real moral significance, many times being of very negative moral impact to society.

‘Plastic Surgery and the Church’ is a message I posted some time ago that would be good to read to accompany this one.

What makes someone popular? Isn’t it visibility?

I recently saw a quote that amused me. It says that a problem shared becomes a trending topic. That is where we are as a generation. Our value system has been overhauled by the media. But it becomes worse because the gallery has shifted to our bedrooms due to social media.

Why do I say so?

The media has always made people famous, or infamous. And social media is notorious for this, though media has always played that role. It is only that social media has taken leadership from professional and licensed media. Of course this has introduced other dynamics. To some it has all but blanked out mainstream media altogether.

Let us get to our topic, flattery. The passage is dealing with anti God schemes and agenda. This therefore is but one of the weapons in his arsenal.

What gets most likes on social media?

Why is it that a girl who posts herself sitting badly (I doubt anyone not old school like some of us may understand what that means) gets an overwhelming amounts of likes and followers? What message are we sending to these children under formation when the only things that are likeable are gross or immoral?

We are telling them that only drama gets appreciated (through the likes of course). Sadly, only the negative reports are worthy of any notice, let alone likes.

Compare this – a minister confesses of being unfaithful to his wife. Who between the one who is repenting that sin and the one who ‘comes out of the closet’ and trashes his marriage to move in with his new heartthrob will be celebrated by the media?

I do not want to parade moral sewage to clearly put my point across. But it is clear that moral rottenness is rewarded, or at least positively acknowledged by the media.

It is for those likes that a girl will take a selfie with barely any clothes on because that is what is liked. That explains why a man could boast of defiling a minor, even post photos of the same. Interesting is that before he was arrested he had already become a trending topic.

Remember this brother who mistakenly sent an overly sensual and romantic message to a prayer group? How long did it trend?

I believe that is what the Bible means by the verse. The world today is about highlighting the morally repulsive and blanking out godly values.

This is the reason any believer interested in having a living connection to God MUST be wary, very wary of whatever media is, offers and represents. There are enough mines to wreck your faith at every corner. And I believe social media is the most innocently destructive of them because it conditions us slowly and effortlessly as we give it permission and are with it everywhere we go.

The solution comes from the second part of the verse. We succeed by looking elsewhere for affirmation, even information. We derive our drive from elsewhere.

Where? We must seek to know God because only He can offer perspective concerning what the world is offering. We must decide that we will seek God above all else.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

We will choose to spend more time knowing God than knowing the kind of garbage the media is spewing. I will speak more with God than I post and comment on social media. And of course I will order my life and priorities on what God has said than what is trending anywhere.

This is because not only is the media focused on the frivolous and irreverent, it is clearly and directly opposed to godly pursuit and living, at the very least by shutting its eye to it. And imagine what that tells our impressionable young generation, and that is assuming we are wise enough or have grown out of the same! Simply that righteousness or holiness will never be trending topics since nobody notices them. Why waste time pursuing them?

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (1Peter 1:15)

But God’s people do not pursue holiness to trend. They do it because it is the character of the One who has called them.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21: 7, 8)

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1Corinthians 6: 9 – 11)

The choice could be between trending and heaven. What will you choose?