Rob Long wrote a thought-provoking article in last Friday's Wall Street Journal titled, "Charity by Proxy: New reality shows let us feel good by watching others do good." He talks about a phenomenon he calls the "Thighmaster Paradox."
Call it the "Thighmaster Paradox": Watching people do things on TV--fight it out on a desert island, say, or sweat themselves into shapelier thighs--often replaces the need to do those things ourselves. After a few hours vegetating in slack-jawed stupor in front of the Food Network, do we really end up in the kitchen, whipping up a wholesome meal? Or do we drag the family to Outback Steakhouse?
Being a regular viewer of the Food Network, I must confess that I rarely put to use the recipes I see the chefs preparing. I don't have the time, the equipment or the desire to spend hours in the kitchen creating a gourmet meal. But I will watch someone else do it. I guess that means I'm a willing participant in the Thighmaster Paradox.
Long goes on to talk about how this paradox applies to good works. Reality shows like Extreme Makeover allow people to watch others do good deeds and thereby vicariously feeling good about themselves, while exerting no more effort than lifting the remote.
We want to feel good, about ourselves and our neighbors. We want to feel good about the power of a remodeled kitchen. Mostly, though, we want to watch. Actual, real charity work--as opposed to actual, reality-television charity work--involves a certain amount of bleakness, the risk of an unhappy ending, an occasional lack of gratitude from the recipient, uncomfortable encounters with poor hygiene and a lot of guilt. In other words, a lot of things that would make for a really terrible television show.
Real charity work may make really terrible TV, but it's what separates Christ-followers from cultural Christians. People who are Christ-followers do what Jesus did. Jesus did the dirty, humiliating work of washing the disciples feet. And it's time that more of us who call ourselves by Christ's name, set down our remotes and got down on our knees in service to others.
HT: Steve Beard
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