I am tentatively entering the fray…
Rarely does a social media post, a meme, a blog entry or even a lengthy article sufficiently cover all of the variables found in the hot button topics of our present American society…immigration, women’s rights, etc. Therefore, the echo chamber grows louder and more volatile. Those leaning liberal type with vehemence as do those who gravitate toward conservatism. Stances become more firmly entrenched, conversation boils down to snarky, redundant arguments and we are all pulled deeper into the abyss of anger and division.
All the while, organizations like Fox News and CNN pile up the $billions and their on air personalities rake in their $millions. Have we ever paused to consider where that much money is involved; greed may be a core influence? Where greed is a core value, it is certain deception is prevalent. It would serve us all well to pause for a moment and acknowledge, whatever our preferred news network, the odds are high we are submitting ourselves to some measure of deception. At the least, the narrative is being shaped in order to appeal to a particular constituency. If we are not listening to outright lies, we are at least consuming a specifically fashioned message. I assume most are aware of this reality.
The deeper, more sinister issue is a greed driven organization stands the chance to make the most money by being divisive. If lines can be formed and enemies made, the pot gets sweetened for the greedy. The empire is built on hatred, anger and fear within the population. Liberal, conservative, republican, democrat, christian, atheist…the system does not care about us…it cares about its agenda and it cares about taking. We are angry, post our sound bites, rehash our arguments and make wide sweeping assumptions…the system gets rich and gains more power.
As a follower of Jesus I am mindful of Paul’s exhortation that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Certainly, those in control of these systems are indeed people, however anywhere there is divisiveness, greed, anger and hate you can rest assured there is a present darkness. A system that fans the flame of discord the way mainstream media does(***) is a plague on a nation. It does not serve as a benefit to society but instead is a beneficiary of the worst sides of humanity…a beneficiary of the fallen, sinful nature of man. Mainstream media capitalizes on our weakness and imperfection and seeks control of the fabric of our nation. Many of the personalities, I’m sure, are wonderful people but the system is hazardous to our collective well-being.
Both my christian friends and my non-christian friends have proven a willingness to boycott and condemn organizations and powers that are not congruent with their system of beliefs. Whether it be Starbucks or Chik-Fil-A, through the years corporations have heard the wrath of the “other side”. It would be beautiful in this hour of tension for all of us to look at one of the most forceful catalysts of said tension…look at our preferred news outlet…and demand they allow us to come to our own conclusions…demand truth and balance…demand responsibility…demand they love the nation more than they love our money.
Better yet, maybe we don’t demand…maybe we turn them off. As a believer, the media should never have access to influence my opinions and thinking to the degree that the heart of Jesus, ways of His Kingdom and patterns of scripture are muffled.
(***Local media is not included in this conversation because for the most part, local media is more focused on sharing news than shaping news…which should be the emphasis of any reputable news outlet.)