The Journey 332
Read: Luke 19:1-10
The digital TV runs on popular shows. In India it is the serials that is a popular features in Indian Television. Here in US you have number of popular shows like Big Bang Theory, Dancing with the Stars, Person of Interest and so on. But there is one show “Two and a Half Men” that has come into the news and has erupted into a controversy yesterday. Two and Half Men is a CBS show running since 2003 and is a Sitcom, a shortened word for situation comedy where characters in the show, share a common environment. One of the lead actors in the show, Angus T John, who has been in the show for the last 10 years has decried the show and termed the show as total filth. Angus is a teenage actor who was only 9 when he was inducted into the world of showbiz through Two and Half Men, and by the time he was in high school though his earning was in millions, his life was in total mess, having dabbled with drugs. An actor who is featured in a show for the last 10 years, criticizing the same show?. I think this is rare. It is reported that Angus earn about $350,000 per episode. This is huge money, and if that is the case why is Angus T Jones critical of a show of which he is an integral part? The views of Angus about the show and about his life has been released recently through a video brought out by Forerunner Christian Church. It is in this video he bares about how a transformation has taken place in his life after he encountered Lord in his life and also being critical of the show and its content. He says that in December 2011, a particular incident changed his perspective about life and God was the reason for the change. He says that “ People consider these shows like Two and Half Men as entertainment. But do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you, you will have a decision to make when it comes to television especially with what you watch”. Jones also feels guilty that his profession may be causing serious damage to the people who watch the show. But what is more revealing, daring and startling is the statement that Angus makes “You cannot be a true God fearing person and be on Television show like that. I know I cant. I am not ok with what I am learning, what my bible say and also being an actor in that show”. While decrying the show, Angus is in a very precarious position. He is under contract for another year, which means he has to be part of the show that he considers filth. But Angus say that God knows the reason as to why he is there. Many people have reacted to the remarks of Angus T Jones as publicity stunt, but organization like Parents Television Council has welcome the star criticism of the show, a show that many others have also been very vociferously critical because of its language and content. Here is an actor who does not want to compromise his faith even for the sake of money, popularity or fame. We don't know what is in store for Angus for his public outrage of the show. But the world has seen that there are still stars like Angus who wants to take their faith and values seriously and that they would want their professional life also an extension of their spiritual life. I think the remarks and stand of Angus teaches lot of spiritual truth and values about life and Christian living. One of the truths that we learn from this episode is whether we consciously demarcate our professional life from our spiritual life or does our faith and value influence the profession that we are in?. When we look into the Word of God we find a man who was also in a particular profession but felt guilty that he was misusing the profession for his own selfish gains.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall meditate is from Luke 19: 1-10. The portion talks about Zacheus a tax collector. Here is a man who is detested by people not only because he was a tax collector but because he used his position as tax collector to exploit people and fill his coffers. Here is a man who uses his position and profession purely for financial gains. His exploits goes unchecked and he has the best of life and that is when his encounter with Jesus Christ changes his whole outlook about his life and also about his profession. Zacheus could also be termed as someone who may have deliberately kept his professional life separate an from his spiritual beliefs and values, if he had one. Broadly speaking Zacheus represents all those people who uses their profession more as calling to cheat the system, exploit people and turn ones profession into an avenue to further ones selfish interest like financial gains rather than the cause and ministry that they were called. I think we may find Zacheus in Christian ministry too, whose focus is only to make a fast buck, or make hay while the sun shines, totally forgetting the calling and the vocation that one has been called to. We live in a world where we find constantly bombarded by the latest gadgets and influenced by the high and luxurious living that others live and this becomes a temptation also to think that life without these luxuries and fat bank balance is useless. Thus we find ourselves being sucked into a system to make fast buck and then in a deceptive and sly way, proclaim that all our material blessing are a blessing from God, and conveniently delink our faith and our calling from our professional life. People lie Angus T Jones and Zacheus teaches us that if we need to be faithful in our calling and our witness, we may have to sacrifice some of the privileges and luxuries that the world offers and through that make a deliberate effort to show to the world that both professional and spiritual life are not separate but an extension of each other.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla,
The digital TV runs on popular shows. In India it is the serials that is a popular features in Indian Television. Here in US you have number of popular shows like Big Bang Theory, Dancing with the Stars, Person of Interest and so on. But there is one show “Two and a Half Men” that has come into the news and has erupted into a controversy yesterday. Two and Half Men is a CBS show running since 2003 and is a Sitcom, a shortened word for situation comedy where characters in the show, share a common environment. One of the lead actors in the show, Angus T John, who has been in the show for the last 10 years has decried the show and termed the show as total filth. Angus is a teenage actor who was only 9 when he was inducted into the world of showbiz through Two and Half Men, and by the time he was in high school though his earning was in millions, his life was in total mess, having dabbled with drugs. An actor who is featured in a show for the last 10 years, criticizing the same show?. I think this is rare. It is reported that Angus earn about $350,000 per episode. This is huge money, and if that is the case why is Angus T Jones critical of a show of which he is an integral part? The views of Angus about the show and about his life has been released recently through a video brought out by Forerunner Christian Church. It is in this video he bares about how a transformation has taken place in his life after he encountered Lord in his life and also being critical of the show and its content. He says that in December 2011, a particular incident changed his perspective about life and God was the reason for the change. He says that “ People consider these shows like Two and Half Men as entertainment. But do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you, you will have a decision to make when it comes to television especially with what you watch”. Jones also feels guilty that his profession may be causing serious damage to the people who watch the show. But what is more revealing, daring and startling is the statement that Angus makes “You cannot be a true God fearing person and be on Television show like that. I know I cant. I am not ok with what I am learning, what my bible say and also being an actor in that show”. While decrying the show, Angus is in a very precarious position. He is under contract for another year, which means he has to be part of the show that he considers filth. But Angus say that God knows the reason as to why he is there. Many people have reacted to the remarks of Angus T Jones as publicity stunt, but organization like Parents Television Council has welcome the star criticism of the show, a show that many others have also been very vociferously critical because of its language and content. Here is an actor who does not want to compromise his faith even for the sake of money, popularity or fame. We don't know what is in store for Angus for his public outrage of the show. But the world has seen that there are still stars like Angus who wants to take their faith and values seriously and that they would want their professional life also an extension of their spiritual life. I think the remarks and stand of Angus teaches lot of spiritual truth and values about life and Christian living. One of the truths that we learn from this episode is whether we consciously demarcate our professional life from our spiritual life or does our faith and value influence the profession that we are in?. When we look into the Word of God we find a man who was also in a particular profession but felt guilty that he was misusing the profession for his own selfish gains.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall meditate is from Luke 19: 1-10. The portion talks about Zacheus a tax collector. Here is a man who is detested by people not only because he was a tax collector but because he used his position as tax collector to exploit people and fill his coffers. Here is a man who uses his position and profession purely for financial gains. His exploits goes unchecked and he has the best of life and that is when his encounter with Jesus Christ changes his whole outlook about his life and also about his profession. Zacheus could also be termed as someone who may have deliberately kept his professional life separate an from his spiritual beliefs and values, if he had one. Broadly speaking Zacheus represents all those people who uses their profession more as calling to cheat the system, exploit people and turn ones profession into an avenue to further ones selfish interest like financial gains rather than the cause and ministry that they were called. I think we may find Zacheus in Christian ministry too, whose focus is only to make a fast buck, or make hay while the sun shines, totally forgetting the calling and the vocation that one has been called to. We live in a world where we find constantly bombarded by the latest gadgets and influenced by the high and luxurious living that others live and this becomes a temptation also to think that life without these luxuries and fat bank balance is useless. Thus we find ourselves being sucked into a system to make fast buck and then in a deceptive and sly way, proclaim that all our material blessing are a blessing from God, and conveniently delink our faith and our calling from our professional life. People lie Angus T Jones and Zacheus teaches us that if we need to be faithful in our calling and our witness, we may have to sacrifice some of the privileges and luxuries that the world offers and through that make a deliberate effort to show to the world that both professional and spiritual life are not separate but an extension of each other.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla,