Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

People often ask me "Who do you listen to this? Why do you watch that? What do you subject yourself to such and such?"

At times it's hard to have an answer. You can appeal to the Bible (Jesus/apostles didn't shun away from anything, they practically daily walked through the strip clubs and bars around the area!). You can appeal to a religious spirit (it's fodder for evangelism, see how holy I am!). You can even appeal to reason (basically a combination of those two). Sometimes you can appeal to just selfish desire (I LIKE sci-fi and video games, dangit!).

Or, you can provide an example, one that hopefully men and women walking in faith will recognize and rejoice in. And the rest will probably condemn you for for being exposed to in the first place.

This is a scene taken from the last couple of episodes of Battlestar Galactica. A womanizer, liar, and basically overall apparently worldly figure named Gaius Baltar is speaking to a young man named Calvin:

"There never is enough, you know. Never enough money...fame...women. The more you want, the more you need, the more you want. There always is a hunger for more money, greater fame, different women."

"Oh yeah? That's a tragedy, your life."

"The point I'm trying to make, Calvin, the point you are missing...is that there is a certain futility in centering one's entire life around trying to satisfy appetites that can truly never be sated."

Is this Biblical? Is this from the Spirit? I doubt the original writer of the episode was a believer, but that's straight from the heart of God. The author seems perfectly well the futility in pursuing anything that is transient and ultimately meaningless in life. All those things listed above...money, fame, and women...are not necessarily bad things. They are gifts from God (well, "woman", not multiple), meant to be enjoyed. But the pursuit of created things instead of the Creator brings death.

If your life is the sum total of all that you have "conquered" or collected, your life has been spent on worthless things. There are better things out there! God, first of all...and if not him, then others! Better the pagan who lays his life down for others than the "christian" who hoards selfishly! I myself use to be that way, and only by God's grace am I moving away from that disgrace!

What is your life focused on? What is your time focused on? Your energy? Your efforts? Your money?

There are better things.

And God speaks through many things. He even speaks to me through an extremely dark sci-fi show that has elements of wickedness. His Holy Spirit speaks.

And he can speak to you.