Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
When it comes to fiction, Christians are very fond of this verse. It is often quoted as a warning against sinful content in books and movies. Many of us have felt guilty over stories we’ve enjoyed because parts of them seemed to go against this text, even though there were many good things in the story otherwise. Some of us have quoted this passage to others with loving concern, when we suspect their entertainment choices are less than godly.
I am concerned that this may be a skewed interpretation of what this verse means and how we should apply it.
First, let me be clear – the Bible is adamant that we should flee temptation to sin, and so I must be as well. Our Lord even said that if our eye causes us to sin we should (metaphorically!) gouge it out rather than dally with temptation (Matthew 18:9). It’s foolish to play with fire. Everyone should discern carefully whether their entertainment choices are leading them toward sin or pointing them toward godliness. So I’m not talking here about watching pornography, or crude, coarse comedy shows, or other things that are clearly detrimental to our walk with the Lord and our witness for His name. I’m talking here about those things in the middle, that might not be completely “clean” or may portray great darkness, but also have “redeeming qualities”, as they say. What do we do with those stories? Do we avoid them because it might make us think of untrue, dishonorable, impure, or un-praiseworthy things?
Many of us are uncomfortable with fictional sin because – well, sin is wrong, and doesn’t reading about wrong things equal thinking about them?
Yes, it does…but might I suggest a different interpretation of the command?
See no evil?
Look for the True
There are many Scripture texts that teach us to avoid sin and temptation, but personally I don’t believe this is one of them. It never says we should keep matters of sin and ugliness from ever entering our thoughts, as some suggest (and let’s not deceive ourselves – there are plenty of hideous things in our minds and hearts already, and putting big walls around our minds won’t keep the sin out).
It doesn’t say, “If there is anything unlovely, if there is anything condemnable, if there is anything unworthy of any praise, stop yourself from ever thinking about these things!”
Instead, what I see here is a glorious command to look for the true.
In every story you encounter, look for what is true. Find the things that are honorable. Search out what is just. Examine the things that are pure and lovely so you might imitate them. Discern what is commendable and keep an eye out for the excellent. If there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things! Put aside the unlovely and meditate on the beautiful things that remind you of God and His grace and goodness. In the enjoyment of any story, set your mind on things above.
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” – Fred Rogers
Beauty and small pictures of Christ’s love can be found everywhere, and all truth is God’s truth, even in stories written by ungodly or mistaken authors. That means anything true, lovely, and praiseworthy is from Him, through Him, and to His glory – and we can rejoice in it as such because we are new Creations in Him.
Am I suggesting we surround ourselves with filth so we can use a magnifying glass to look for flecks of gold in the mud? As Paul might say – by no means!
What I am suggesting is that we shouldn’t judge a story on whether it depicts sin or not. (If there are humans in it, there is bound to be sin. Either that or the author is a lousy portrayer of human nature and reality.)
Rather, we should judge our fiction by asking, “Did this story leave me ‘think[ing] about these things’?”
And we writers, who joke about “killing our darlings”, raising the stakes, taking our characters through the worst of troubles, finding the things they would never do and figuring out a situation where they would do it – we are often the “masters of darkness” when it comes to the lives of our fictional people. It’s important for us to depict the reality of sin. It’s not just a bad idea, it is rebellion against the Maker and Avenger of all things, and the wages of sin is death. So we must show real sin, because sin is real and demands a blood sacrifice. And we must show real darkness, because the true world holds darkness because it of that sin. But where are we pointing our readers? We should always point them toward the light, not leave them staring bleakly into the blackness.
Different Perspectives = Different Takeaways
The interesting thing is, our reactions to a story are heavily influenced by our own perspective on life, often as much or more than the actual content of the tale or the intentions of the author.
As an example, take Frozen. I have seen Christians decry that film, claiming it is full of secret gay propaganda. They busily scare up “evidence”, quotes, lyrics, or scenes that might be trying to promote homosexuality. Of course it’s all theoretical, since Disney hasn’t made any claim of such intentions. On the other hand, I have seen many Christian reviewers praising Frozen, calling it one of the most Christian movies of the year, full of themes of Christlike love and self-sacrifice! They watched the movie and glorified God, because they saw His grace reflected through the characters’ story.
Which side in that controversy has their minds more focused on what is true, honorable, praiseworthy?…and which side has its mind in the gutter?
In the nebulous area of stories and symbolism, beauty is often in the mind of the beholder. Filmmakers may create their stories in evil, perhaps, but God can still mean it for good. All truth is His, no matter how much the atheist or lawless man might try to claim it for their own or use it against Him.
Look to the Source of All Joy
Why should we look for what is true, honorable, and all the rest? And how do we know it when we see it? Those are topics for a whole series of posts, but I think the easiest answer is this – look at Jesus Christ. There is no one more true, more honorable, more just, pure, or lovely, or more worthy of commendation, excellence, and praise.
The more I meditate on Christ, the more I will see glimpses and reminders of His beauty in the stories I read, hear, and watch. And the more often I am reminded of His beauty in unexpected places, the more often I will meditate on Jesus day in and day out. There is nothing more precious to set our minds upon than Him!
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I’d love to hear your applications of this text! What is the last story you enjoyed that made you “think about these things”? For me it’s Captain America: Winter Soldier.
