Much debate is centered around whether or not it is right for Christians to take part in the arts. Some choose an isolationist view, choosing to avoid all movies and pop music. Others restrict to only music and movies released before a certain year, hoping that the earlier releases will promote a better set of morals. Still others watch and listen to a wide range of new releases in order to be familiar with current trends. Whatever decision an individual makes, it seems pretty common for one to be sure their choice is the right one and all the others are wrong, whether too rigid or too loose.

But what is a healthy perspective in an area where there is a lot of good but also a lot of danger? Most of us would agree that we need to at least be enough aware of cultural trends to be able to engage the culture and be able to influence change within our spheres of influence. A few contend that we should instead retreat from culture as it is lost anyway, although this seems to be a minority opinion and is not one that I believe to be the best choice.

One of the first things to evaluate is whether one can influence more than s/he can be influenced. This isn’t to say that all should be producers of content, as for many people simply being aware of culture and being able to use it as a springboard for dialogue with others is an effective way to engage the culture. But does one have the maturity and discernment to find the good (and it is there) or will s/he soak it all up without discernment and thus become a product of culture rather than an influencer of culture?

Those who have the discernment to seek the beauty in the arts while rejecting the filth are in for a rewarding experience, such as but certainly not limited to seeing truth reflected through common grace or in dialoguing with others about such tidbits. But there are others who may not have this discernment (yet?) and instead absorb the unhealthy, certainly unredeemed aspects. If one’s sense of right and wrong is being muddied as a result of absorbing the dirty side of culture, and he or she is unable to tell if it’s wrong or right, then it may in fact be wise to take a step back and focus on what is known to be good. This person is not ready to engage or influence culture as instead he or she is the one being engaged and influenced.

There’s a lot of filth that like an impostor pretends to be good. It should be no surprise — see Romans 1:18-32 — but it catches some people off guard. Can a steady diet of unfaithfulness, relationship hopping, adultery, and promiscuity (common to “chick flicks”) serve to give a woman a healthy view of life? Can a load of disrespect, immaturity, laziness, and disconnect from reality (common to kids’ and teens’ shows) help build up the next generation? Can a supply of soft-core porn or worse, and general degradation of the female gender (common to programming aimed at men) really strengthen a man?

At the same time, for those who can see the wrong but still cling to what’s right, there are a lot of hidden gems just waiting to be found. The typical consumer mindset says that it’s no fun to critique music and movies, or that to find the spiritual signifiance is “no fun” or “missing the point”. But isn’t this a healthy way to engage in the arts? Finding truth in a place so full of lies — evidence of common grace — can be an exciting thing (not to mention a great conversation piece with others who have seen the same movie or listened to the same album).

Just some thoughts this evening while reflecting on the subject — trying to look at it fairly, not venting too much at people I disagree with or pumping up my own handling of the subject. It’s tempting to just retreat and decide not to deal with it at all… it’s also tempting to accept everything because it’s fun. But I’m pretty convinced neither is right. If you disagree, feel free to let me know. Until next time,
jn