“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as lions” Proverbs 28:1.
There’s been a shift in the media in the last year that cannot go unnoticed. When I was in college, I did a research study on how media consumption effects our views of the world. I intended to study how, specifically, reality tv influences decisions in dating and marriage. To my surprise, my hypothesis was backwards. My research survey had around 480 participants of undergraduate college ages. The results showed that people are attracted to what they believe, not that they believe what attracts them. I thought the media people consumed affected how they formed opinions of the world. Instead, for the vast majority of people, we would rather consume media that affirms our preconstructed views.
The Rings of Power.
The shift I have noticed in the media this last year is not in news cycles or political affairs. It’s in entertainment. Take Amazon’s The Rings of Power. From a beloved source material, gay and BIPOC representation, and a female lead, this billion dollar fantasy show should’ve skyrocketed. Instead, it became one of the biggest rating flops in history. Season 2 that released a couple months ago did even worse. Amazon created a show that, by all accounts, had everything modern audiences wanted. It had a budget for the spectacles and costumes. There was a great name attached to it. It starred iconic characters in reformed roles. People adore Lord of the Rings twenty years after release. How could they miss the mark with this?
People seek truth.
The reality is, people seek truth. They don’t always realize it, but they do. At our most basic human instinct, we want truth. Adam and Eve sought the tree of knowledge, but once they saw evil, they wanted goodness. They weren’t content “becoming like gods” in their knowledge of evil. Adam and Eve were broken, and wanted to return to the truth and harmony they had broken with God.
The same is true today. For years, media has represented more and more evil and brokenness in our society. Comedies about abortion have been released. Beloved original content has been remade to feature masculine women and effeminate men. LGBT+ values have been put at the forefront while holy marriage and parenthood is demonized. Now, people are turning away and seeking truth.
Speak Boldly.
The wicked flee when no one is pursuing. This change in media is significant, and should give us all the more confidence to speak boldly. The world is starting to realize how far it has fallen. Not just in tv shows, but in every aspect of culture. People, at their core, want God, they want truth, they want goodness. They are starting to seek it out again after tasting the forbidden fruit. We should not hide our values in our lives, our workplaces, our political alliances. All of us who hold onto truth, who know what it is, should speak boldly for it.
St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach constantly. When necessary, use words.” From the language we use to the friends we make, anyone should look at us and know who we are. They should know what our relationships, our marriages, our families. It should be a tragedy if someone is surprised when we tell them we are Catholic. Our lives should speak boldly. May the way we live our lives make the wicked want to flee!
