Guest post by Thirzah Griffioen
We’ve all experienced it before. You’ve just found a new movie to watch, and you want to show your parents, friends, or children. So you set a date for a movie night. You pop the popcorn, set up the TV, turn on the movie, and- oh, is that a curse word? Why is there a random sex scene?
You can fast forward, telling everyone you didn’t realize there would be so many explicit parts, but then what? You can already feel the discomfort in the room, along with silent judgement.
Alternatives
It’s disheartening when you realize how many of your favorite shows, movies, and books have content in them that you would feel embarrassed about if you had to describe it to some of your friends.
Of course, you could always switch and only consume Christian media, but then you face another problem: Most Christian alternatives are boring and predictable. Why do we have to choose between our morals and interesting stories? Why can’t there be a balance? Why is it that with all the films and shows coming out every month, we still can’t find anything to watch?
Hollywood’s Influence?
Well, we could always throw the blame on Hollywood and claim they are the problem (they are) but Game of Thrones, Fifty Shades of Grey, The Queen’s Gambit, and many other popular shows and movies were all based on books. In fact, many of the most successful films were books first. So whether it’s a book or a screenplay, writers have a lot of say over what media our society consumes.
Fixing The Problem
Well then, if we know what the problem is, what can we do to fix it? There’s a simple solution: Create new stories.
Why settle for what the world gives us for entertainment when we don’t have to? It’s said that the pen is mightier than the sword, and in this uphill battle we’re facing, it’s true.
Who is holding the pen that writes our books? Or our movies? What about our shows? Do they share our values? Do they care about us at all?
If the answer is no, then shouldn’t we look for writers who do share our values and are dedicated to creating quality content?
Nine Dollar November
The School of Kingdom Writers has already begun to reform the media. They’re training writers to create kingdom content: Captivating stories without the nonsense the media industry shoehorns in.
So how can you join this mission?
For $9 you can go to Chick-fil-a, have a couple of coffees, or you could invest in the future. The School of Kingdom Writers is constructing a building which will allow more writers to come and train, so we can transform the media faster. If we want better stories, then someone has to write them.
Learn more about the $9 November fundraiser here.
This is the goal: To flood the media industry with stories that you don’t have to be embarrassed about enjoying or sharing with others.
It’s time for change.
Imagine watching a movie in anticipation of a great story, instead of worrying about what will show up on screen. You can pop the popcorn, set up the TV, turn on the movie, and there are no surprise curse words, no random sex scenes, and everyone enjoys the movie.
If you’re tired of today’s so-called entertainment, you can finally do something about it.
Donate now and watch the media change for good.
Learn more about the $9 November fundraiser here.
Thirzah Griffioen, the author of this guest post, is a first-year student at the School of Kingdom Writers. She moved from Maryland to join our full-time program in Zanesville, Ohio.
She is a young, talented writer to watch! When you support the School of Kingdom Writers, you’re not just supporting Thirzah, you’re also investing in every heart her lifetime of work will touch.
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