***Flawless
Correcting the "bow down" nature we feel toward others
By Pastor Adam Fox
Andrea and I are considered "cord-cutters" since we do not pay for cable television - we mainly use streaming applications like HULU. As modern television viewers, we watch shows on our time and rarely with commercials. But lately, the genres we have been binging on documentaries and reality shows.
Over the last few weeks we have spent time watching episodes about Whitewater Scandal, The Clinton Scandal, even on the Black Sox Scandal; or reality cooking shows or My 600 lb. Life.
For some reason we are drawn to these types of shows lately but it may not be that puzzling or uncommon. It makes us feel better about ourselves, superior even. When I sit down at night and watch a documentary it takes me into a world or into the life of a person where something has gone wrong, a scandal has occurred or tragedy has hit them hard. By comparison then, I feel better as a cook, human, cleanliness and citizen and scandals bring that out of us.
The word Scandal has come from the Greek word for "snare" - implying that one is snared into moral failure. Someone who is snared into moral failure sure sound an awful lot like a LOT of television shows.
Why would we watch shows about people who are super-overweight, living in squalor, who have a very strange addiction or even who did something illegal? Because watching shows like this, reading or listening about people like this brings some level of entertainment and makes you feel better about yourself and your life situation.
For instance, I could watch a documentary on the Clinton-Lewinsky mess and enjoy the suffering of the people but also feel better about myself in the process. The Germans know this feeling and have given it a specific term - Schadenfreude. Schadenfreude is defined as pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.
Why do we enjoy Schadenfreude, other people’s misfortunes so greatly? I think it is because we enjoy feeling superior to that person or getting pleasure or joy from their situation. And friends, thinking of yourself as Superior to someone else is a dangerous and sinful thing.
The Bible is clear in calling out these type of emotions as sinful. The Bible speaks a great deal about all of us being equal and not one person or group of people being superior to another. Look at what Paul writes to the church in Galatians:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
As Christians, men and women who have received forgiveness from God for our sins - we are all apart of one eternal family. We all have been forgiven for our sins, making each of us forgiven and equal – never showing partiality.While there are plenty of shows from Hollywood that encourage us to believe we are better than this person, or this group – but the Bible is clear that we are not. God does not love me more than you or favor you over me – Godly Equality.Paul had to remind the church in Roman to not think of themselves as better than others or superior to another but equal - just as God sees us.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
God calls us to see other people as we see ourselves, as God sees us. We should not look at a person and see the flaws in their life and character but what God sees in them. Someone who needs kindness, love and forgiveness.
So what does that mean for us? Are we to filter out the television shows and other forms of media that belittle and isolate the flaws of people so that we will feel better about ourselves? Are we to stop judging people on what they did but what they can be with a relationship in Christ Jesus. Those would be a good start. I think the first step would be changing why we are viewing others. We are not to watch the super-over weight person so that we can feel better about our bodies or watch the show about people who cannot cook so we feel better not being great at it. But instead, see these people as people who need help - physically, emotionally and Spiritually.
In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of two men who go to the temple to pray - one a Pharisee and the other a Tax collector.
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Scandal and people’s misfortunes will never go away, there will always be it in some form. Just like there will always be sin in this fallen world of ours. While it is tempting to digest television shows that broadcast these themes for the delight of the viewer. But that is just like temptation – it will always be there for us as Christians in some form or fashion but it is up to us to not fall into those temptation traps.
What we do need to remember in all this, real life and in television, that we are called to treat all men with love and kindness. The Bible tells us this often, look at Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Or more directly in Philippians 2:1-4: Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
As soon as we stop seeing ourselves as better than others and see people how God sees them, we will always be stuck wanting to be superior. We are not ***Flawless (sorry Beyonce) but we are forgiven. And as forgiven people, let us aim being more like God in all that we say, do and think. And that means stopping with the Schadenfreude and stop seeking pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.
Cheers and Excelsior!
Pastor Adam