A couple nights ago, I found myself, as is usually the case after the kids have gone to bed, watching ABC Nightline. What made the discussion on the show interesting and worth commenting, at least in my estimation, was the problems and lack of perceived solutions. Given my initial thoughts and tenor about the show, you might think that the show was groundbreaking; truthfully, however, I found it rather more heartbreaking. For those who are interested in watching the segment, it can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/view-whoopi-goldberg-11809448 .
No, that is not a mistaken link, at least if Whoopi Goldberg still comes up. The interview that I found myself captivated by and broken for was Whoopi's interview with Diane Sawyer. Now, Whoopi is not a figure with whom we typically associate the words tragic and pity. She is, by human standards, very successful. Prior to launching her career in acting, she was a very accomplished comedienne. Today, she is probably more famous for her gig as one of the four hosts of the View. And, while I am dealing with her career, I loved her in the roles of Guinan (Star Trek: Next Generation), Sister Mary Clarence (Sister Act and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit), and as Oda May (Ghost). By any normal standard, she is wealthy. She is famous. And, unlike so many of her fellow actors and actresses, Whoopi has managed to keep a great deal of her private life out of the public eye. Unlike so many of the rich and famous, we don't hear of her breakups, her car wrecks, destructive behaviors, and the like. In my mind, that is what made her comments all the more lamentable.
One of her comments got me so worked up was Whoopie's discussion about contemporary culture. She makes the claim during in the interview, and Diane agrees during the segment, that there seems to be more evil in the world today than in the past. People, in her mind, seem to have less tolerance of each other and are quick to pounce on one another. Politics is simply an obvious expression of that changed attitude. What's even worse, from Whoopi's perspective, is that we glorify the attacks and evil. Movies like Mean Girls; shows like Jersey Shore, Big Brother, and Survivor, and some books glorify people being mean to other people. That promotion and glorification, Whoopi noted, just creates a spiral of bad behavior. And there is nothing that can be done about it. Americans love to watch it, read it, and read about it, so the powers that be will keep putting it out there in order to make more and more money. Of course, her real frustration revolved around the fact that nothing can be done about it. Unless people quit buying it or watching it, there is no way to reign it in. So, in her mind, the evil will continue to spiral out of control, and evil will seem to get worse.
The other comment which really made me wish that she had paid attention to the lines of her co-workers in the Sister Acts was her lament about her mother's death. In a nutshell, Whoopie explained how much she missed her mother. As she praised her mother and discussed the lessons of her youth, Whoopie lamented that she will never be loved like that ever again. The world is too evil and too selfish. Her mom's death meant, in her mind, that she'll never be loved the way in which she craves to be loved, to be accepted, and to be held. How sad, I thought, that she has either not heard or simply chosen to reject Christ Jesus. Had she met Him, much of her worry could easily be placed aside and given over to Him while she got about using her talents, gifts, and platform the way He intended. Here's praying that one day, someone will reach her with the message of His love and hope, that one day, she may feel even more loved by her Father in heaven than she was by her mother on earth, and that one day, she will learn that evil has already been conquered by the only One who could make things right: Christ Jesus!
Peace,
Brian†
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