Dear Church Family,
I am a relative newbie to Netflix. We didn’t enroll until Covid kept us at home. I am amazed the abundance of entertainment available at the click of a button. No one would be surprised that my viewing habits have changed as I age, I think it is natural to “refine” our tastes as we mature. However, as a Truth Student, my tolerance for violence, intense dramas and suffering has waned. I have come to know that everything we watch can affect our thoughts and feelings on a subconscious level. The awareness of how programming affected my psyche came as I found myself uncomfortable with watching a story unfold with graphic violence. Later, I realized that sometimes watching the news had a similar effect. I might find myself angry, impatient, disheartened, or critical. These are all human experiences – and some might say – “Get over it.”
So, I did. I got over it. The way I got over it was to turn the TV off. I do not need to see the rest of a story that uses graphic violence as way to “entertain” me. Whenever, I am watching something with gratuitous violence or hatred, I am now empowered to turn it off. I got over the news, too. Occasionally I watch the news – but if I find myself “reacting” to the newscast – I turn it off.
Each of us is Master of our ship. Each of us can chart our course and use the tools that assist us. As a Truth Student I focus on my thoughts and feelings constructively. When disturbing images appear – I can stop them. When angry thoughts emerge – I can deal with the anger and know the Truth about Spirit. As compelling as stories are and news can be – they are mostly about the human condition and each person can decide what they want to affirm.
Jesus did not deny the human condition, but he also knew the greater Truth – human condition is a temporary experience. God, Spirit, Soul is eternal. Jesus sought quiet of the woods and nature to pray and meditate. There he found communion with the Source and Force – God. There he found nurturance. And we are encouraged to develop our spiritual practices to assist us in dealing with the human condition, too.
I still watch a lot of television. Probably too much. And I know who oversees what I choose to watch or not. I grateful to have a growing awareness that informs me when something is not helpful to my eternal nature.
Many blessings,
Pastor Robert