Daily Reflections on Mt. 6:19-24 (Pornification of America)

Driving down the road I was channel surfing the AM dial in my car. I hit on the Laura Engram Show. She was talking about the pornification of America. She caught my attention so I paused my scan. She talked about the mind numbing effects of soft porn ads, i.e. Paris Hilton car sudsing ad or the Hardee’s/Carls Jr. hamburger ads and others. She was talking about the decay of society and the debase morals which were becoming the norm in advertising and our culture. She was urging listeners to stand up and take back America as part of her Power to the People drive.

Jesus noted the power of our visual stimulation on the heart here in Mt. 6. He said that when the eye is good, so is the heart. When the eye is bad, a darkness consumes the heart. Pornography isn’t the only darkening catalyst. Greed, power, lust, envy, bitterness, anger, hatred, partying, pride, sex, materialism, selfishness are also things that can darken the heart. Over eating (the biblical word is “gluttony”) or lethargy (commonly known as “couch potato”) can also lead to a darkened heart.

What you focus on is what you ultimately become or what consumes you. Whatever gains your attention shapes your thoughts, your behavior, your life. When I used to take kids to church camp or on spiritual retreats, we forbade bringing radios, ipods, mp3’s, and even gameboys. Anything that could distract from focusing on God, we requested, even demanded, be left behind or at least in the suit case for the period time we were there. It was always amazing to me what God was able to do in young people’s lives when their eyes were focused on Jesus and His Word.

It was also amazingly weird when we hit the world again and stuff that came over the radio. Listening every day to as Engram says the pornification of America, our minds to become numb to it. We don’t notice what’s happening. It’s like the frog in a pot of water that doesn’t jump out as long you turn up the heat slowly. It eventually kills it. But when you’re away from the world’s stuff and focusing on listening to God for an extended period of time, it’s almost like culture shock to hear and watch and see the stuff coming over the airways, cable and fiber optic lines.

If the eye is good, the whole body is full of light. If the eye is bad, the whole body is full of darkness.

God, I’m choosing to focus on you. I’m keeping my eyes fixed on the finish line and the author and perfecter of my faith. I can’t go live in a monastery or hide in some cave, so I need you to light my path. Show me the light so that I can follow you and your path.