Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally returned to the United States (well, four weeks ago that is) and by God's Grace I am home and safe. Its definitely a different feeling now, knowing that this time around I just don't get to stay, greet a few friends, go to my home church, eat mama's food, and enjoy communicating in my own language for a few weeks then head back to my second home of Korea. This time I'm parking it and I don't get my car back. Its definitely taken some adjustment this time around.
Finding a new job, well, it is what it is, its slow and time-consuming, and I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life. Whatever the Lord leads, I shall follow. Yet at the same time staying put is quite unusual, but I quite like it. I really can use this time to read and pray more.
Being in America, there are some cool things that I enjoy: the trees, the fresh air, the food, and the quietness compared to the hustle and bustle of the Korean machine. I enjoy seeing my parents and the wonderful home that our Lord has given us for the past ten years. We are truly blessed. My brother and sister-in-law will be giving birth to a new baby boy in late August. What a joy. Its really cool to add to the family, and I pray that my brother and sister-in-law will be Godly parents and that I can be a Godly uncle. I hope they see Jesus in us.
Its good to see old friends and how much they have changed. For instance, tonight, I went to my good friend Charlie's 29th birthday party. It was nice to have a nice, simple party where Christians can gather and have clean fun. None of this Korean, you-gotta-drink-till-you-die parties (which I never participated FTR), but just good ol', sit down and let's catch up parties. But this time, I counted four children in one room! People who've I have known for years are now parents, or some who are getting married, or some who are starting their marriage careers. A couple are expecting in the future. Some have new careers or got new homes. Its amazing how much I've missed and how much has changed. Its crazy! I didn't hit the pause button when I was gone!
We experienced a huge storm today, with storm-watch tornadoes in the mix as massive, golf-ball sized hail shelling most of the Metro Area this evening. The sheer rawness of tornado season does make you more fearful of the Lord! The weather has been living up to its American mantra.
However, on a side note, there are some things about the American experience that really make me wonder about the state of this nation. In short, I believe that this nation is going down.
More than ever, as I watch TV or other outlets of media, go out into public, or see the different trends that represent America these days, I am very disturbed. For example, American television is surprisingly just saturated with..."stuff." Its easy today to get a Comcast box or DISH Network, and then the media menu filled with burger and fry programming comes at your doorstep, with a charge but cheap to get. DVD and Blu-ray discs are accessible in the mail, no more just going to a videostore and renting anymore.
For TV, you just choose your programs, TIVO it (record it to watch later), Pay-per-view it, plan your day around your favorite programs, its right there for the taking. Commercials sell you the things you need, while other commercials guarantee you should not miss this next episode of "this, that, and the other" because it will be the highlight of the season.
I believe that American television programming for some people has become straight up idolatry. Many families in America today revolve their life around the entertainment box. It feeds us, we glorify it, and we need it. "Did you see that TV show last night?" "Oh, did you see the season finale of so and so?" No thoughts about the real issues of life in conversations.
How about me then? Yeah, I also like to watch TV now and then, but I'm very surprised how much less of it I watch or care for it since I came back from Korea. Since I couldn't really comprehend Korean TV in the first place (due to misunderstand-able content and language barriers), I simply turned off TV when I came home from school and replaced it either with videogame or reading time, and going to Hapkido classes. Now that I am back home in the States, I do like to watch some programs: including NBA basketball, the news, mixed-martial art action shows, and the only TV drama I do like which is being canceled (Law and Order), but I find myself not as intrigued to every drama and sport that comes before my eyes. Wait till World Cup time though. For the record, I hate commercials...
Another thing that really disturbs me and shows where my country is going is the cheapening of the sacred bond of sexuality. In other words, I am shocked how cheap and twisted sexuality and purity have become in the United States. No, I'm not talking about prostitution. I'm talking about how easily one can show their bodies in this country and no one blushes. Its outrageous. To be pure and virtuous as women, and strong and honoring to the Lord as men, is an idea that does not exist in the United States.
The most shocking incident in the news lately has been a viral video called the "Beyonce 5." As we know, Beyonce is the worldwide phenomenon singer who is known for her beauty, her dance moves, and her strong, powerful voice. She has a recent music video called "Single Ladies." The video itself, which I recommend no one to watch, is her and her two fellow dancers dispalying not-so-good dance moves that make you go, "Oh just stop, you are showing too much." Now, try seven-year olds. Yikes! Alert! Yes, there was a video where five seven-year old girls at a recent dance competition did the exact same raunchy dance moves in front of a live audience. They were wearing next to nothing. They are shaking their stuff in ways that are just...wow, sinful. News outlets and newspapers were on it.
Now media critics and bloggers are left and right accusing, "what were the parents thinking?" and "this is so wrong to be allowing seven-year-olds to be baring their bodies in front of who knows what kind of people!" "What kind of outfits are those? Those parents are at fault!"
In all honesty, and I'm very forthcoming to say this, but this is the result of sin! This is not just a "moral failure on the part of the parents, or that Beyonce is at fault for inspiring this dance routine (even though its a start to penetrate the problem)." What do you expect when man worships his or her body instead, while Almighty God wants Christians to treat our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? Sin is exchanging God for a lie, while man worship created things rather than the Creator (see Romans 1:24-25). People become suddenly shocked that we see videos like these on the news, and cry the pain because of pedophilia in this world, or pornography, or any media influence that encourages sin.
Yet there is nothing new under the sun. Look at the tribes of people that surrounded Israel before they entered the Promised Land under Joshua (see Joshua and Judges in the Old Testament). Some of them worshiped gods in which they imposed heinous worship rites that included child sacrifice or hellish sexual acts. God ordered the Israelites to wipe those people out, because He is a righteous Judge and strictly warned them to never follow their gods and worship the only True God. God knows once His people, if they ever stepped into sin, there would be death...
Now back to the issue at hand. How much more as sin peeps out into our American sensory avenidas will people realize that its not society's fault that we produce bubble-gum, sex-cheapening, violent-glorifying pop, rap, rock music, or searching for joy in the next American Idol, or see wanton acts of revenge as we violence on CSI that its not "the other person's fault," but its OUR fault. "Wait, wait Mark, I didn't tell those kids to dance like that..."
And no, its not even an argument, "just don't buy the music" or "don't watch the programming." Its not even an issue of "we need to teach our children the right things." We need to teach the righteous standards of God's Word! Bam! What makes me upset is the futility of the anger towards these methods of displaying sexuality in the media and we cry "foul." I believe its only natural that when man exchanges God for idols that as objects of His wrath we only continue to do what we do best as sinners: sin! This is the result of glorifying singers and sexy dance moves rather than God. You put value into Beyonce, this is what you get! We are all believers that if only society got its act together we can go back to the "good ol' days." Mister or Missus, there were never any good ol' days, especially under God's Standard and His Word!
So I close it up like this. I hope my writing will challenge you to think about something: when we see the sin of the world before our eyes, should we really be surprised? I say no. Instead, as believers in Christ, we should run from it and pray that the Lord will protect us from temptation. As believers, we need to share the Gospel and share that need for a Savior is not because Jesus wants us to be nice and so we can get on God's good side. Rather we as Christians we need to share it because of the Love of Jesus Christ, people will continue to exchange their lives for lies...leaving people hopeless and empty. People will cry foul when they see seven-year-olds gyrating or other displays of heinousness on TV, but why do the cry foul? Show'em why.
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