 Print
E-mail
Cultural FadsPublished: Fri, 01 May 2009 19:29:00 -0400  www.flickr.com/"Twitter Logo" (Image 1 of 1)
When talking about what’s new and cool in the world, I’m completely lost. For example, when I started taking classes through TPS, I heard of something strange and foreign to me called “Facebook.” Classmates would ask each other for their Facebook names, while I sat there trying to figure out what on earth they were talking about. Finally I learned Facebook is a form of MySpace only for society to come out with something new to befuddle me: Twitter. I still don’t know what this is except, thanks to Internet headlines, that it has something to do Ashton Kutcher, CNN, and about a million people who actually “tweet,” whatever that means. Last November I received a text from a friend asking if I wanted to go to the opening night for Twilight and to let her know ASAP because she was at that moment buying tickets online two days in advance. Having barely even heard of the movie except from a few commercials, I quietly laughed to myself, “Does this girl seriously think that movie is going to sell out?” On opening night, to which I didn’t go, I received more frantic texts from a different friend asking if I was waiting in line for the movie – and potentially the best moment of my life – to start. A few months ago during an appointment, my dental hygienist asked if I was, like, totally obsessed over Twilight. When I passively told her “not really” and that I had only read the first two books, she exclaimed that I absolutely have to read the other two and how in the world have I survived this long not knowing what happens next! Modern society, especially America’s, seems to latch onto a few trends at a time until these trends swell into obsessions. Whether they are new forms of technology, books, movies with singing high-school students, or any venue of entertainment, fads can be enjoyable, but they have the ability and the temptation to get out of hand. Scripture reveals that God wants Christians to have their priorities straight when it comes to cultural fads. 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Love comes in all different forms, but usually the Bible talks about a type of love which causes a person to follow something or someone, like the love Christians have for God which prompts obedience to Him. If Christians become so infatuated with a new fad that they devote most of their time and energy to it, then they have an unhealthy love for it, otherwise known as an obsession. Does this mean Christians cannot enjoy popular movies or books? Not necessarily. While Scripture warns against any type of sinful or impure pleasure, it also says God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:15). If something is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8-9), Christians have the authority to enjoy it - just not to go overboard. Wholesome and popular trends in moderation can provide fun and enjoyment, but Christians should avoid anything in such excess that it takes precedence in our priorities.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
