Are You Watching Too Much News?

I have a new test for old age these days. If you can’t identify more than three of the following, you definitely are over the hill: iPhone, Twitter, You Tube, Blog, Urb, Netflix and TiVo. Those in the “know”, (probably anyone under 10 years old) can readily describe each of these alien terms and explain to you that they all are ways of dispensing or keeping up with new information that is piling up by the minute in our world of communication. Some are beginning to complain though, that our culture has become addictive to information.

According to an article in the New York Times by Alex Williams, social scientists give us one possible reason for our need to feed ourselves on so much information these days. In times when people think their fate is tied to enormous events that are out of their hands, stock piling information can give some of us a sense of control. With the financial markets in meltdown and that crisis intertwined with a frenzied presidential campaign, which one of us hasn’t reached the limit of exasperation and cried out “Oh my God, I’m watching too much news.”

To combat the sense of information overload some persons are trying to pullback. Instead of wringing their hands and complaining how they just can’t keep up anymore with all of the news and current events. They are using the Rip Van Winkle approach. Remember that Washington Irving story about a man who went to sleep under a tree for 20 years? When he woke up he found that on the surface everything had changed, but on another level, nothing had changed. Life was still the same as twenty years prior.

Maybe the real issue is not how much information we are absorbing but the kind of information we are taking in. The habits of our minds are probably more important than we think. Unfortunately the habits of mind instilled by the modern media, seem to run almost opposite to what is recommended for our well being as Christians. And what is recommended? Listen to Paul’s advice in his letter to the Philippians:

“Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things….and the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:8-9

Why not turn off the computer and the television and think about these words from Paul. Stop reading the newspapers for while. Take a break from information overload. For after all, how are we going to celebrate the goodness of the creation if we feed our minds only on issues that distract from God’s creation? How are you going to take steps to fill your mind instead with all the things that God has given us to be legitimately pleased with and to enjoy and celebrate? For these are the things in life that truly make for peace.

Peace!

Pastor Tom