The current spiraling of sexual immoral behavior of politicians, news reporters, and Hollywood producers is tragically really nothing new. But it is ruling the news most days.
A nation troubled by the sexual misconduct of irresponsible men and women are at the same time complicit by the promotion of a hyper sexualized nation.
If we, as a nation, are going to be honest in our conversation about what’s going on (really, about what’s been going on) then we are going to have to not only talk about Hollywood and politicians, we are going to have to talk about the public school campus, we are going to have to talk about the half time show at the Christian school basketball game, we are going to have to talk about what our home-schooled children are doing on the internet, we are going to need to talk about morality.
Hollywood has been pushing the envelope since the industry began. It set standards because it knew there were limitations. Then the government began to set standards because even the government knew there needed to be limitations and standards that a moral nation needs to have in order to have a decent behaving population.
This is complicated and yet quite simple. The institution ordained by God to be a moral compass in any nation is not the movie industry or a self appointed wise man, who eventually will show himself to be the worlds greatest fool but is a church of redeemed followers of Christ. The pillar of truth in the land is not a senator, school teacher, sports coach, dance team sponsor, actors, athletes, news anchors, or movie producer. It is a duty given to a unique people of redeemed from the wrath of God known as a church.
Where are you church? Is Dancing with the Stars really your standard for wholesome entertainment for your children? Is American Idol really your clothing standard for the coming Lord’s Day? Is any sitcom on any network really going to instruct your children on acceptable behavior and appropriate topics to talk about?
What if the church spoke into our culture again with conviction? What if we spent our money differently? What if we reconsidered the source of our entertainment? What if we looked to not just elect “moral” people, but godly people? What if we reinvented the education system? What if we engaged social media differently? What if we didn’t let the industry that pushes immodest clothing styles tell us how to dress? What if we didn’t let the immoral nature of our old flesh entice us to look at them?
Here you are church! Here is your day. Speak with compassion, conviction, and godly authority. Secure godly ministers to lead God’s church, not cleaver people in the ways of men.
We must stop being surprised by the failure of letting immoral people being the standard of morality and stop letting our children see them as their heroes. This year, instead of flooding the movie industry with our money, consider investing in books of real heroes. Introduce biographies of heroes of the faith to your children. These heroes are not perfect in all their ways, but they are governed by a holy God and redeemed to live differently.
