Life in Perspective
I just wrote about things that bug me about movies. This past week a friend and coworker told me about his impression of the movie, “Avatar”. He said he was disappointed that the story was rather weak, though the visual side and special effects were very good. Is it just another “white man’s burden” tale? Perhaps so, I’ve not bothered to see it, yet.
What sorts of things do the “movies” teach us? Why do we place so much importance on them in our society? Is there something fundamentally missing in our personal lives that drives us to fill our time with listening and watching stuff that isn’t real. Now we have a form of entertainment that’s labeled, “reality tv” which seems to be an attempt to help us learn all about real people, usually depicted at their worst or weakest moments unfortunately.
What would happen if the “power” was turned off permanently? Without entertainment, what would our lives be like? How would we cope? As humans, we like to see ourselves as being valued and “successful”. Storytellers and jesters whom we call, “entertainers” have learned that there is gold in them thar “hills”. The human quest for meaning and purpose is a goldmine that has made those that can tap into it very wealthy. Many of these “entertainers” have become modern “heroes” or as we like to say, “celebrities” or “artists”.
I find myself immersing myself in their fictional tales all too often. Wasting endless hours that could be used for something better and more useful. Maybe that’s it! I want to be distracted from my feelings of emptiness and worthlessness that go along with an unproductive life. So, instead of finding ways of being productive and useful as a person, I dream my life away in imaginary tales of heroes, villains, jesters and whatever else floats my boat (scifi and nature shows mainly).
My heart longs for hope and worth. To be useful to others and most importantly, my Creator. The Creator gave us a book as our guide on our journey’s through life. We work so hard and spend so much of our money and wealth and TIME trying to be HAPPY with vain pursuits while the Bible is there to teach us how to be blessed, and that’s a far better and rewarding goal. Being blessed is finding God’s ways of enjoying life which go beyond “happiness” to peace of mind and fulfillment.
As I allow the Creator to use His Bible to teach and direct me, I find the need for entertainment fading and it gradually losing its appeal. In the hands of our Creator, our lives can be wonderfully fulfilling and there’s an inner joy that grows in me as I DO the things that Our Creator teaches me.
Wayne Hollyoak