Media, Best Selling Authors, and Other Politics

There was a discussion in my classroom the other morning.  The students weren't sure if it was a good thing or not that Pastor Saeed was finally freed.  This was in light of the previous news they had heard regarding Pastor Saeed's wife no longer caring if he was freed or not.   Since I have never been one to be involved in politics or the media, I was quite ready to give my opinion on the matter. Goodness me, out of the blue, I had years of held- back opinions blurting forth!

  I used to think as a little girl that I would love to be a journalist who got the story straight.  I would get to the bottom of situations and only report the truth of a situation.  In this way, the world would be rid of half truths and over dramatic scenarios.  I would start a new trend of reporting only truth and all the world could be set free of prejudices, terrorists, and drug dealers.  How that was related, I don't know.  But somehow through peace talks and the smoking of the peace pipe we would all speak the same language and hear only the heart of the matter and then it, of course, would be dealt with according to truth.

So when those little kids were repeating snippets of what the media was saying concerning Pastor Saeed, I got a little mad.  I made the statement, " I never believe the media and popular opinion on these matters."  Which, of course, lent itself to a multitude of questions.  Such as, "What's the media?" and "Why don't you believe the news?"

Here are my reasons:  Do you remember the poem about the blind guys who each had a different part of the elephant to investigate, then they were to say what animal it was, based off their tactical experiences?  This is how the media works.  It takes only the view in front of them, parts and pieces, then tries to put together a believable story with true parts but not the whole.  It is misconstrued and distorted.  It isn't fair and it makes gossip explode.

Another reason it upsets me, is how media feeds on bad news.  Bad news spreads faster than good, wholesome news.  Bad news is dubbed interesting and exciting.  Good news is boring news.   Something is wrong with that picture.  A Christ follower should be seeking good not dirt.  A Christ follower should be attracted to what so ever things are good and lovely and worthy.  That is what should enthuse a Christian.  Not, scandals and divorce and popularity.

Also, and this might be my biggest pick with believing the news...People make the media what it is by repeating something sketchy.  Anytime a person tries to withhold pertinent information from a kid and even some adults, those people will fill in the gaps with made up stories.  They no longer need the facts because they just made a story of their own.  Therefore, the biggest news flashes in my opinion carry the least amount of weight.  Those are the ones I am especially skeptical of and would not believe them.  For sure, I wouldn't repeat them.

So finally, my take on Pastor Saeed and his situation...  I am thankful he was released from prison.  I believe his wife is too.  I believe more than ever, his family needs love and support to get through the obstacles they will have to deal with now that the media has turned their normal, sinful- saved by grace- family into 'what ifs?' and 'how will they?'  Talk about a truckload of useless 'help', all in the name of caring for our Christian brother.  I don't deny sin is sin.  If they have that confessed and were brave and open to the world about their failures, they have only been an example of how Christ asked us to be.

Which brings me to best-selling Christian authors and the like...  Sometimes, I think those people in particular are under fire because they are in the lime light of people and their human ways of looking at them.  Again, maybe we could blame the media for making people what they are.  It seems there will always be a few devout Christian persons that wishes to find dirt on these poor souls.  It simply isn't Christlike.  Actually, it's rather Pharisee like, as in the story of the woman caught in the very act of adultery. Guess what?  They were looking for dirt and they found it.

  Yes, it upsets me when fellow Christians feel the need to decipher whether or not another Christian is 'truly walking with the Lord.'  Is any one the authority on the hearts of man? Nope. Only God truly knows the whole story of that particular Christian. Why would I discourage a fellow child of God by looking at his fruits and deciding whether they are of God or not?  God doesn't even desire this of us. Christ did not give us the authority to warn Christians about the legitimacy of other Christians.  There are far more scriptures that supports loving and forgiving each other our faults.   What is the point of this persuasion, other than trying to make ourselves look more Holy and Righteous or Saved? There are warnings and exhortations about those who would try to persuade us away from Christ and His teachings.  Sadly, that seems a lot like what is happening when Christians bite and devour other Christians.  Those warning were given for us to guard ourselves from those who do not proclaim Christ at all.  Judge not, that you be not judged, comes to mind.

As for politics?  They too are run by the media, from what I have gathered in my years of un-involvement.  Mostly, I think, if we believe we shouldn't vote, because our kingdom is not of this world, then for sure, we should be praying.  And also, if we don't vote because we believe our kingdom is not of this world, then we shouldn't be talking about what needs to happen in government.  In other words, if you don't vote, be very quiet in word and in thought about politics and be forceful and fervent in prayer.  After all, only God can judge the hearts of man and He is the persuader and counsellor of our souls.  He is the one we will give account to, not another Christ follower who is only human after all.