CONFESSION IS GOOD . . .

Remember the old saying, “Confession is good for the soul!” I hope so. I have a confession to make facilitated by feedback from my life-long partner and friend, my wife, Irene. Looking for some entertainment and an opportunity to spend some time with my son over the long weekend, we watched two movies. One cost us $22 for two tickets at the theatre and the other about $5 from Block Buster. Both were an enormous waste of good money. That’s not the worst part. Both left me feeling dirtied.

In the first big mistake, I was looking for a good action movie hopefully with some humour. I thought George Clooney’s billing in The American might do just that. Was I ever wrong! I dragged my son to see what turned out to be a depressing trip through a pathetic portrayal of decadent, existential malaise with scenes that I wish were not now recorded in my memory. I confess an enormous waste of time, money, and brain cells. The second mistake was renting an action-comedy staring Bruce Willis. Wrong again! The language alone would make blush an ordinary seaman in the merchant marine. The plot was simplistic, and the narrative lacked any redemptive value. I am not a prude, but I confess two really poor choices that left me diminished in my sense of self. I am not proud of paying good money to support a truly decadent industry.

Here’s the most disturbing part. In both cases, children were being exposed to this trash. Children were in the theatre for the one, and at Block Busters the second film was rented by a mother who likely was looking for a funny film for the two small children who helped her pick out the DVD. Reflecting on this whole thing, I personally lament my decisions and the fact that I feel personally diminished and dirtied. More troubling, I am concerned that these exposures have become normative for younger and younger children whose moral and spiritual development is at stake.

I woke-up this morning to two things, one – my dear wife asking is there is a disconnect between what I believe and espouse on the one hand and how I spend my leisure time on the other. I can tell you she was not favorably impressed by my choices in movies and did me a favour in expressing her opinion. She’s right! Two – I am reminded by memory of the Apostle Paul’s encouragement: Philippians 4:8 – “ . . . whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

I confess I made two really poor choices over the weekend. I feel dirtied. What can I do about it? I find myself embracing the grace of God who blesses our good decisions, and if we ask will redeem us from our poor ones.

O Blessed Saviour, is thy love
So great, so full, so free?
Behold we give our thoughts, our hearts,
Our lives, our all, to thee.

Make us like thee in meekness, love,
And every beauteous grace,
From glory unto glory changed
Till we behold thy face.
- Joseph Stennett (1663-1713)