50 Shades of Grey

The other day I was at the bookstore with my 4 year old son Haydn.  Next to the register sat a stack of the  popular novel 50 Shades of Grey.  A mom and her son were in line in front of us when the son asked his mom what this particular book was.  She responded, "A book on tying ties."

I am not sure if you have heard of this book or not but apparently it is extremely popular and more than a little steamy.  I have been told that suburban moms are flocking to it like investors to Facebook stock.  Now if you have not heard of this book, as far as I can tell, it is more-or-less a romance novel that might need an NC-17 rating.  Now I am not criticizing the book, or condemning those that have read it, but I find it interesting that we seek things externally that we should find internally.

Take for example our desire for extreme sports.  We continually push the limits so that we can "feel alive."  Or our love for reality TV.  Instead of being content with the life that we have we seek meaning and purpose from the voyeurism that reality TV provides.  And then back to 50 Shades of Grey, do we find passion in our relationships or are we looking for that externally when it should be found internally?

Why are we drawn to things like 50 Shades of Grey?  Sure passing the time is one thing but just beneath the surface I worry that we aren't content with the life that we have and instead search for life elsewhere.  This is a dangerous game.  It is dangerous because we are searching for something we think we don't have in a place where we can't find it.

In the story of the woman at the well Jesus confronts a woman who is looking for life in places she can't find it and because of this she is in a rut and her wheels continue to spin but she doesn't get any where, she doesn't feel any more content but rather the pit in her soul continues to deepen.  When Jesus reveals to her what the life that he gives looks like, everything she used to want suddenly falls away.

So where are you looking for life?  Do you realize that you already have it or are you too consumed with the life that someone else has that you miss your's entirely?  Riding motorcycles isn't necessarily a bad thing (I have done that one) as long as that isn't what defines who you are.  Watching a little reality TV (the Kim Kardashians marriage/divorce thing had me sucked in) as long as it doesn't become your reality.  And if you need to learn how to tie a tie I guess you have found your book.

If Jesus were to ask us for a drink would we really know what quenches our thirst?

See you in church,

Chris