The Shockwaves of History

By Kris Denton

Like a number of American families, mine is filled with a variety of religio-political ideologies and opinions.  And also like a number of American families, those differences of opinion have become more divisive and toxic in the aftermaths of both the Columbine High School massacre and September 11^th.  Families across the country, including mine, have fractured, split, and estrangements occurred over the changing cultural landscape of America.

I am having a stimulating e-mail conversation with my best friend about this.  She lives in Texas, is a devout liberal Christian, a registered Democrat, and does not own a television set.  Now in our late 50’s, we’ve been friends since middle school.  As for me, I could see where Texas was heading long ago, so I left shortly after my high school graduation in 1977, landing in Colorado a few weeks later.

We’ve witnessed an abundance of social change in our 50-plus years; Kennedy, Vietnam, Woodstock, Watergate, Reaganomics, the personal computer and the internet.  All of those events and their repercussions sent shockwaves through the nation, and we survived them as a nation.

Yet my friend and I agree that what sets the twenty-first century apart—what is most responsible for the heightened state of vitriol between Americans—is the loss of the Fourth Estate of a free press to mass entertainment.  Whereas the twentieth century had the likes of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Chet Huntley, the airwaves now are filled with Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Chris Matthews.  Journalism has been replaced by “my opinion is fact;” the louder, more controversial, and more arrogant the presentation, the better.  Is it any wonder that a major political party is on the verge of anointing a game show host for President of the United States?

The talking heads of cable news have reduced the discourse on crucial social and political issues to audience share for advertising dollars.  Verbal abuse, the trouncing of decorum and boundaries, conspiracy theories, those things sell tickets, and they have found their way into the relationships of the average American family.

Matthew’s Jesus states near the end of the Sermon on the Mount:

. . . I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.  So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”  (5:22-24).

Christians above all others are bound by scripture to make peace with their family before they offer respect to God.  Re-establish respect for family boundaries . . . and turn off the television for awhile.