"Numb3rs" has become part of my morning workout routine as it comes on at 4 am and 5 am every morning. While watching it the other day, I realized that one of the main characters made an observation on God that really hit home to me. Don, the FBI agent brother, told his dad that he was trying to understand the spiritual journey and the one thing he realized was that "Whatever God is, I am pretty sure its how we are there for each other. "I have never had something impact me that way while trying to maintain a 6.5 mph pace. In all honesty, it struck the core of my being more than any sermon has, my apologies to my pastors. It amazes me how much a TV show or song lyrics can really drive home a point more than any sermon even though both are saying the same thing.
Let me briefly, talk about the point made on the show. I took the comment to mean that God's love is evident in the way we treat others and especially how we create friends and families and are just there for them. I know like DUH!!! It is something I knew mentally but never really it hit me the way it did on the treadmill. It made me remember that words are easy and money convenient when problems arise, but to be there for someone, really there for someone, is the evidence of God. I believe I am there for myself but not often enough there for others in my life. Being there for others is not a burden, it is a warm embrace from God. I think that in our efforts to help others we reach out with the hands of God and feel his embrace around us. That is like WOW. My friends, who have responded to the problems in Haiti, amaze me. Greg, your family's love and willingness to help is awe inspiring.
This leads me to also wonder why a show can have such an impact in 15 seconds that pastors struggle to have over the course of a year. DO we need background music to help enhance the experience? Do we need 15 sec. sermons? I am kidding. It could come from how we are wrapped in our shows,or that the words spoken by the pastor are stored in our head and make it to our heart during emotional impacts. Maybe we are more emotionally invested in the fictional lives of our TV characters than our church.
One possible reason may be that the telling of the story allows us to experience life vicariously. In this experience, we join in the journey of the character. The character's growth and learning allow us to experience a little bit of the transformation that occurs. Now, that needs to be backed up by actual experiences.
Consequently, those experiences come from listening to our pastor, participating in activities, and taking on our own adventures. I think the journey of the character crystallizes our own journey and helps us to step back from our own life. With this perspective, the heart can transform. I love a good story and the insight I get from them. They often inspire me to do more and experience more.
Therefore, how can a pastor drive home this transformation. A good soundtrack may be a good start. I am a proponent of preaching from the Bible but I do believe that the use of clips and media to help focus the point does wonders in the information age. We no longer experience life wholly in reality. The fictional experiences are shared experiences that can trigger a true understanding.
This is heady stuff for 5 am. In my ramblings, I hope I have expressed that God's love is expressed in how we are there for each other and that the impact of media is in helping us to focus and understand our own experiences. Enjoy your shows and be inspired.
I guess God really is everywhere if He is in a criminal case show.
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