Fellow Christian, Are You Watching Well?
It was about 10 PM on a weekend evening when Nik's phone started buzzing. It was Parker calling for the fifth time that evening, doing what he always does: "bothering" Nik with the same deep theological question or internal debate he was having. In the midst of contemplating the finer intricacies of determinism, acronyms resembling flowers, and "He who must not be named" (Calvin), Nik asked Parker what he was up to lately with work. Parker replied with the urge to start a podcast but wasn't sure about the content yet. The phone call ended as it normally does, with more questions asked then answered, but Nik was left with Parker's comment about the podcast.
He quickly remembered back to when he attended Ball State and had an idea for a blog. Throughout college, Nik would go to movies with his buddies, but the trend that Nik latched onto was not the weekend nights out at the movie house for the entertainment. It was in the post-credits conversations that brought about a more life-giving event than the story on screen. These conversations delved into the depths of justice, relationships, moral clarity, love, and sacrifice. He wrote the first article about the role of the father in the movie "Fences" and titled the blog "WatchWell." Nik found the original article and shortly after the phone conversation with Parker, he sent it over. Parker responded, "This is the podcast," and The WatchWell Podcast was born.
I (Parker) wouldn't be the first to compare Hollywood to Sodom and Gomorrah due to the obvious parallels in depravity. The darkness and wicked cultural activities we mere mortals hear about in the tabloids is reminiscent of the visceral response to the activities of Buffalo Bill in "Silence of the Lambs." As The WatchWell Podcast grows, we want to be a beacon of light holding the standard of a Biblical worldview, encouraging other believers to WatchWell.
In the 2010 movie "Inception" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, there was a drug used to put people to sleep. The downside of this drug was that the more you used it, the less you were able to sleep and dream. The entertainment industry wants to insert that hypnotic intravenous drip to keep your eyes fixated on the things of this world, to blur the line where incoherent and coherent meet with regards to worldview. We reject the unbelievers' attempt to cloud our Biblical judgment and how we see the world. We will hold the line of coherency by resting firmly and unashamedly on the revelation of our King Jesus.
"You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." -Morpheus, The Matrix
We invite you to join in the exercising of worldview through the messages Hollywood attempts to force down our proverbial throats. Reject the passive consumption of entertainment and charge forward armed and ready to stand for Christ by using story as a way to witness to your kids, family, friends, and local communities. In a world where entertainment is often a vehicle for secular messages and values, The WatchWell Podcast challenges listeners to reclaim the narrative. We urge you to critically engage with the stories you consume, to dissect the underlying messages, and to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. By doing so, we can transform passive viewership into active discipleship, using the power of story to reflect the ultimate Storyteller. Let's take back the narrative and submit it to Christ, ensuring that our consumption of entertainment glorifies God and edifies our faith.
If you are going to watch, WatchWell.
