I went to the movies last weekend and saw The Jersey Boys. It is another nice film from Clint, you know the guy with the big pistol, Dirty Harry. This film interested me mostly because it was about my era in high school. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were a hit when I had a scratchy radio in my 49’ Ford.
Like all movies these days, the favorite adjective (not a verb) in Jersey Boys is the “F” word. I don’t remember that being true, and I was there. My generation didn’t use the F word like that. We used others, but not that. Anyway, that is not my point.
We have a new set of words we use today. They are descriptive, demeaning and depressing. The “D” words have arrived to dominate our disposition and darken our desires. The “D” words are all our current conversations are about. Our films, our news, our lives are about Disaster, Destruction, Damage, Darkness and Death. The media that schools us, guides us, and totally shapes our culture has a gloom and doom mentality. Goodness is Gone and Darkness is Deified. The Black hat guys have won the day.
Now, there is a debate as to which came first-the chicken or the egg. The media would tell us that they only reflect and report on the culture rather than create culture. That is just not true! Those media types who produce the news have their own agendas; they see the world through their distorted lenses. Hatched by the mother hen of post-modernism, the liberal media has rejected the absolutes of good and evil, and have made Man the center of their universe. They write and film what they see in their own lives and believe what they believe in their own hearts. There is a big letter “D” pasted on their eyeballs. They see a future of doom and darkness. Hollywood is obsessed with the Demonic themes of darkness, doom and destruction. Our children and youth are dunked and dripped into a pool of death through movies, video games and the like. They are raised on a culture of death.
Well, I have another more palatable “D” word for us today. My word of hope this day is “delight” as in…
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
That is sound advice from King David. Sure this day is full of darkness, disease, and death, but we can chose to delight in the fact that God is our Father. He is not DEAD, I can delight my soul with the knowledge that He is Sovereign in the affairs of Mankind. Yes, darkness is present in our world and increasing daily, but so is God’s purpose, presence and power. God, Goodness, and the light of Gospel are holding back the darkness. I can delight in seeing God at work. The movies, media and newscasters may not promote or even recognize it, but the Gospel is winning the culture war. I for one, believe our best days can be right in front of us if we repent, pray, and delight ourselves in the Lord our God. I’m making that my “D” word today. My delight in Him, dispels my darkness this day! Try it-you’ll like it!