How to Become a Media Expert | Part 2

We ended the last post with you (understandably) questioning my sanity since I’m willing to claim that the Bible says we should watch music videos and go to movies.

But I still think a case can be made. I’ll look at one example in particular, as well as add a caveat.

In Acts 17, we see Paul going to different cities and towns to “reason” with the people there. Usually, he goes straight to the synagogue--the place where Jews gathered--but when he arrives in Athens, he also goes to the marketplace--the place where both Jews and non-Jews gathered. Instead of just debating the finer points of Jewish theology with those who already subscribed to his same beliefs, he would be confronted by many other ideologies from people who held differing beliefs. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that it’s really difficult to have intelligent debates and discussions when I have no idea what the other person is talking about.

But Paul doesn’t miss a beat. The Bible tells us he had debates with them and was later invited to the Areopagus, the New Testament equivalent to a public debate or a university classroom. Tons of brilliant minds would meet there and debate about philosophies and worldviews. In fact, the author of Acts even tells us that most of the Athenians did nothing but sit around and listen to or talk about the latest ideas. So they were well-versed.

Yet not only is Paul able to hold debates with them, he is also able to quote their philosophers and poets (from memory, no less). In the end, he convinces many of the people there that following Jesus is logically superior to all of the other ideas being lobbied about. 

Hold up!

Yes, I realize that stories, information, and ideas were largely passed on by memory and oral repetition—not through writing—during Paul’s time. But it’s still a big deal that he could quote from other philosophers. Sure, he was more used to remembering things after hearing them once than we are today, but to be able to remember a specific thought verbatim and who wrote it is not easy, no matter what culture you’re from.

I would suggest that this means Paul studied them. He didn’t just know their names; he knew their philosophies and their works in detail, as well as what the “fad” ideas were at the time. (What a hip guy!) Athens didn’t have the Internet, smartphones, apps, or any of the other things that constitute popular culture in 21st-century America, but it still had its own pop culture nonetheless. And Paul knew it well enough to hold intelligent discussions and speak in such a way that would appeal to the Athenians. 

And, as we all know, Paul was still considered an expert in Jewish theology, as well as one of only a few experts in Christian theology, all while spending most of his time and energy discipling churches, church leaders, and close friends. Whew!

Luckily, we’re not Paul. We’re not called to nurture the infant Christian church or solidify Christian theology. But we are called to disciple. And discipling means giving those we’re discipling the tools and skills they need to have deeper, richer relationships with Jesus Christ and then go out and disciple others in return. But if we’re unaware of what ideas they’ll be facing, temptations they’ll be combating, or culture they’ll be surrounded by, we won’t be able to equip them at all. And their imaginations will be hijacked by lies that only bring destruction and death.

If we’re not addressing relevant issues and hot topics as soon as they go “viral,” then our children will be discipled by whatever culture is teaching them about those issues. And our efforts to help them un-learn what has already been entrenched in their minds may be too late, especially if there’s no desire on their part.

So what’s the caveat? I don’t believe the Bible gives us a precedent for watching, listening, and reading for the fun of it. Paul studied the culture around him in order to engage and challenge it, not to become part of it or to be “entertained.” So we must never stop analyzing and critiquing as we study our culture. (And believe me, once you get going, you’ll never be able to just watch a TV show or just listen to a song again!) But more on this and how to UN-pollute your mind later.

So how can we know all about pop culture quickly and without spending too much time on it? And what about the parts of the Bible that admonish us to stay “unstained by the world” or to “meditate on things that are noble and pure” or to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”? Stick with me in the next few posts as I work through it all.

Stay tuned for Part 3, coming Monday, in which I highlight the fastest and easiest ways to stay up-to-date on Movies and TV.

This series of blogs was written by Melanie, our Associate Director of Research.

How to Become a Media Expert | Part 1

Honestly, I don’t like being a “media expert.” 

When I first started working for Axis three years ago, I was asked during training to listen to an excerpt from a then-popular Katy Perry song, then give a one- to two-minute oral critique of the lyrics. Since that was my first time hearing the song and since I couldn’t have even told you that Katy Perry became famous for “I Kissed a Girl,” I stuttered and stumbled my way through it. Had it been a pop-quiz (get it? I’m so punny!), I would’ve gotten zero points. Not even one half of a point.

Sadly, that was the beginning of the end of my self-imposed “media naiveté.” In middle- and high-school, I was like my fellow classmates: I knew all the biggest songs and artists and movies. I wanted to fit in. But after I hit the proverbial “rock bottom” in my downward spiral throughout college, the Holy Spirit opened my mind to finally understand what it meant to “follow Jesus,” and I slowly learned how intensely media affected my worldview, my thoughts, and, consequently, my actions. So I decided to forget about pop culture. And for two years, I did, which is why I barely even knew the names Katy Perry or Lady Gaga in 2010.

But now I know more than I care to know. I listen to interviews, watch music videos, read lyrics, watch live performances, read articles and blogs, follow Twitter accounts, watch TV shows, have discussions, see movies, make slides, and write blogs about pop culture. When it comes to the Internet, I’ve been (almost) everywhere, man. At times, it is maddening. And saddening. There are many things I wish I could un-watch, un-read, or un-hear—or, as my boss once said to me in an email in which he asked me to listen to some Lil’ Wayne lyrics: “Step 3: Remove your brain from your skull and wash it with bleach. Repeat a million times.”

So why do I do it? And why would I encourage you to do it?

Because what we don’t know can hurt us and the ones we love. Because our not knowing keeps us from having the tools and knowledge we need to disciple and protect those who do not yet have the discernment necessary to know what is harmful and what brings life. And because it’s biblical.

“Wait. Did she just . . . I can’t . . . I just . . .” is probably what most of you are thinking right now. I don’t blame you, and this is crazy. How could I possibly claim that watching music videos is biblical?! Clearly, iTunes, YouTube, DirecTV, XBox, and Pixar come after the Bible was written. But allow me to explain. . . .

In Part 2, coming Wednesday, I will explain why I believe it’s biblical to know pop culture.

This series of blogs was written by Melanie, our Associate Director of Research.

The Hunger Games Revisited

This blog was originally posted when the first Hunger Games movie was released. Since the second Hunger Games movie comes out in 2 weeks, we thought we'd repost it for those who missed it or for those whose students are asking again if they can be allowed to see/read the series.

To watch or not to watch The Hunger Games? That is the question many parents, reviews, websites, blogs, and Christians have raised since the release of the film. But maybe it’s the wrong question to be asking. . . .

Based on the book by Suzanne Collins (first in a set of 3), the movie is set in future North America, where the citizens of Panem are forced by the Capitol to live in Districts in third-world conditions and to work backbreaking labor jobs that keep the Capitol and its citizens wealthy and well fed. Each year, these Districts must participate in the “The Hunger Games,” a ritual imposed by the Capitol as a reminder of the deadly consequences of trying to rebel. Each District is required to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to the Capitol, where they are put into an arena to fight to the death.

Reminiscent of works like George Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, The Hunger Games books raise many questions about governmental control, morality, sacrifice, reality TV, and entertainment, to name just a few. Admittedly, Collins wrote these books for young adults between the ages of 10 and 20, so one should not expect such literary genius as can be found in these classics, but even the older readers will find the books compelling and hard to put down.

Interestingly enough, the emergence of the books seems a bit serendipitous in timing. There are many who believe that the US could already be in the early stages of a country similar to Panem. Even if one finds that idea a bit too far fetched, we must all recognize that such conditions currently do exist in North Korea, parts of China, and elsewhere. But even more difficult to swallow is the reality that the idea of people killing other people for sport and entertainment has existed for centuries, with the Roman Coliseum being most prominent. But how did the Romans get to the point where the masses had no qualms about watching others kill each other for fun? And is it possible that it could happen again? What needs to be done to prevent it?

Questions like these and many more should arise in one’s mind after reading the books. And since the movies are such close adaptations of the books, they have the potential, indeed the power, to ask questions and question assumptions in much more poignant ways. But the question remains: will they? And even if they do, will our youth notice these questions? Or will they be too “entertained” to notice?

Understandably, some students are not yet ready to tackle certain concepts and abstract ideas; only you, as the parent, can know exactly what your student is capable of handling. But if he/she is ready to handle them, then you are doing him/her a disservice either by not allowing him/her to watch it OR by allowing him/her to watch it with no questions asked. Both of these reactions are polarizing and extreme in the case of The Hunger Games. There is a middle ground, which is to engage the subject matter with your student. Rather than imposing more boundaries and rules, see this as an opportunity to allow your children to grow, mature, and live up to the responsibilities God has given them.

If you happen to have students who are begging you to see the film or read the books, use it as an opportunity to not only oblige them but give them some homework. That probably means you’ll have to read the books and watch the movies, as well as have meaningful, intentional discussions with your students about the content. But isn’t all the work worth it? Isn’t it much better to raise students who actively engage and think about culture, who could one day drastically change culture for the better or prevent a world like in The Hunger Games from becoming a reality? (A quick suggestion: tell your students that if they want to read the books, they must also read some or all of the classics that deal with the same subject matter.)

All in all, approaching the books and movies in this way means more work for viewers, especially parents. But since when were we, as followers of Christ, supposed to passively become part of (or disengage from) the world around us? To learn or not to learn from The Hunger Games? Maybe that is the question.

*poster from http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/catching-fire/posters/final-poster