As I was sitting at my desk at work, I reflected on my television viewing the night before and wondered, “Just WHAT did I get outta those two hours? Was I REALLY entertained?” It had been a Tuesday night and I had watched an episode of CBS’ “NCIS” (that stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service) and “Criminal Minds”. But what had I come away with? Had I learned anything and if so, was it something new (yeah, I know, “. . . there is nothing new under the sun [Ecclesiastes 1:9b, ESV])? Was I entertained (“to hold the attention of with something amusing or diverting“ [Source: www.dictionary.com]); did it make me laugh or smile? Was there a hero I cheered for?
Someone (I don’t remember who) once said that our entertainment industry is designed as an escape from our real and sometimes mundane lives. As I thought back over some of the shows I’ve watched, I’ve had to realise and accept their lack of reality. What person is going to have the 100% success rate like that of FBI agent Jack Malone (CBS’ “Without A Trace”) or the non-stop action-packed days like Jack Bauer of Fox’s “24”? What about a real (as opposed to the scripted “reality shows”) where a child is never found or there is no advancement on a case? Yeah, I know, while it may not be “entertaining”, at least it won’t give us more of an unrealistic false hope of a life lived “happily ever after”.
A peek into my mind, to hear the thoughts of a 40-something single male as he walks this planet called Earth.
John M. Kirton II
DISCLAIMER: This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent my own solely and not those of The Village Church, her ministers, pastors, administrators, staff, covenant members, regular attenders or visitors; my parents; my alma mater, Dallas Christian College, her administration, faculty, Board, alumni, or students, past, present and future; or my employer and fellow employees.
My Story
- John M. Kirton II
- I attended public school for two years and private school for the remainder of my education. After graduation, I attended Bible college in Dallas, Texas, for four and one-half years consecutively. Unfortunately, I failed a class and was unable to graduate with my class but God enabled me to re-take the course and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Bible and minors in Youth Ministry and Biblical Languages in 1994. After failing the aforementioned course, I had continued attending a church but began to falter in my faith. It was during my second year after my Bible college years that I was introduced to the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), where I became a member and was involved for twelve years. It was not until my twelfth year that, after much prayer from my parents and closest friends, Greg Faure and Wayne Stiles, I became convinced that the ICOC was a religious sect. In June, 2000, I left the ICOC and became a covenant member of The Village Church in Highland Village, TX, in April, 2004.
