More Television (than we need)

Television brings the world into our own homes. Things never before seen by the ordinary person on the street, have now become so familiar that we can watch the most horrifying violence, and we hardly blink. Murder, even though simulated, is common. So much so that when we actually do witness a real death or mutilation, such as we see in war reports, it doesn't phase us. We sit stony-faced, and accept that as a part of life, though in fact it is death.

I must compliment Gary Lautons, of the Toronto Star, for helping to wrench the public from such social lethargy with his article about the little girl in Beirut who lost her family in the senseless violence in that city. She also lost her foot. It was literally blown off with aggressive weapons of war. What had this little innocent to do with war? Why does she have to be a cripple the rest of her life? Later in life, look her in the eyes and tell her it was a necessary sacrifice for “the cause”.

This is the kind of thing we see multiplied over and over again through the marvel of technology. Someone dies violently in Afghanistan, and we see their blood flow in North America.

Yes, the world is a small place now. And it is television which reveals just how small, how mean, and how depraved it is.

Men are smaller too. Small minded. Self-centred and violent. How much more small can we get than to let a three year old suffer the brunt of adult brutality? The world just keeps getting smaller and meaner, and there's a reason. Read Mark 7:21-23:

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.

You can't blame it on politics, or society. It's root is in the evil which lurks in the hearts of men, and God hates it. Read Prov. 6:16-18:

These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil...

Our human hearts will only expand to truly care for others when we keep God in the equation. King Rehoboam of Israel was an evil man for a specific reason. See 2 Chron. 12:14:

And he (Rehoboam) did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.

This same reason could apply to every single one of us, and it's only going to get worse. Read 2 Tim. 3:13:

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

How deceived must a person be to come to the place where it is acceptable that a little innocent girl is ruined for life as a spin off of man's evil and hatred.

Television not only makes the world a smaller place, it reveals how utterly small mankind is: how shrivelled is his heart.

If television teaches us anything at all, it should reveal how desperately man needs God