First of all, I’m saddened by the loss of Vince Flynn. Please say a prayer for his family today.
Of all the modern writers, I enjoyed his books the most. Philosophically, emotionally, and in terms of how I’d like to write, Vince Flynn was my favorite. I said it yesterday on Facebook – I’d be happy to be 1/4 of the writer Mr. Flynn was on any day.
Today’s topic is – well, watch the video below and then I’ll have some commentary.
Famous Dave’s new cookbook: Famous Dave’s Barbecue Party Cookbook
Some Christians are obsessed with whether or not a blog/book/recording/movie/piece of art is “Christian” and thus acceptable. I’m not a huge supporter of that philosophy. I think there are all sorts of truly wonderful things out there that don’t have the “Christian” label on them but still glorify God. I’ve heard secular artists as diverse as U2 and Elvis Presley singing on Christian radio stations. Yup, even Elvis and Bono.
The point I’m trying to make is that you can enjoy things without looking for the equivalent of a Kosher seal on them. The video above does an excellent job of making the point for me.
I’m a big fan of Christian entertainment. But it won’t cause your eternal damnation to read the latest Reacher novel, or watch Longmire on A&E. You might even have a good time listening to Toby Keith! If you are living your life the right way, you can glean good things from almost anything you run across. Even evil.
Yes, knowing what the enemy is up to is important to us as Christians. We need to have the knowledge and power that comes from being aware of our surroundings. Without studying evil and its impact on those around us, how could we possibly guard against it in our own lives? This is not to say that Toby Keith is evil, but even a rowdy song from my favorite singer does me a bit of good from time to time. I try to live the Christian life, but if I hear him singing “Angry American” I’m not going to shrivel up and blow away.
Am I advocating sin, lust and greed? Nope. But as much as I’d like to say Christian entertainment does it all for me, it doesn’t. Some topics just don’t get covered in our genre. And since I like straight up history, biographies, and current events with some political commentary I do go outside the zone on a regular basis.
My message here, after a laborious and tortured trip, is that you need to occasionally take a deep breath, remember that doing right is the goal, and not lose your mind if something “in the world” catches your attention. The young men in the video figured that one out early on in their lives. Why does it take so long for some of the rest of us to figure that one out for ourselves?
As long as you’re still here, trot on over and subscribe to have a chance at winning Famous Dave’s new cookbook: Famous Dave’s Barbecue Party Cookbook. And, while you’re at it – Please follow me on Twitter, and “Like” the Facebook author page.
