The eCrozier

We gave up cable TV years ago, not for any other reason than we weren’t watching it. So, on Wednesday morning while getting ready to fly from northern Virginia to Tennessee for church and seminary gatherings, I turned on the Weather Channel in my hotel room to see coverage of Hurricane Michael. I had no idea how many things of which I needed to be afraid. Fortunately, cable TV was there to help me be afraid.

To be sure, a hurricane the strength of Michael should make us all exercise prudence and all of us should pray for and help, as we’re able, those in harm’s way. But the ginning up of the storm and the drama of the cable “presenters” (some of whom are real scientists, I assume) would certainly scare the heck out of people watching who were even only slightly inclined to phobias. The irony of this coverage is that most people who are in harm’s way weren’t watching cable TV like I was. They were too busy evacuating.

And that’s just the actual coverage of severe weather. The advertisers who pay to have their commercials run during media coverage of hurricanes certainly know their “marks.” In an hour of my “off and on” watching the Weather Channel, I learned about all sorts of ailments and diseases I could have (or a loved one of mine could have!) and the pharmaceutical treatment that would save the day. Everything from skin rashes to bladder leakage to high cholesterol should send me running to my doctor to allay my fears.

And then there was the commercial for home generators that’ll give me “peace of mind” in case of “severe weather or terrorist attack.” The commercial showed older couples (all of whom were white, by the way) who looked content and peaceful knowing they had their generator when the worse (whatever that may be) would happen. One couple in the advertisement even claimed it would be their “saving grace.” That’s one, powerful generator! Who would have thought that any generator had that much power?

Now, I’m not suggesting we abandon prudence or caution in dealing with severe weather or medical needs. That would be silly. After all, we have a generator at Diocesan House and I hope all of us appropriately take the medicines our doctors prescribe for us (although many of our fellow citizens in rural Georgia increasingly can’t afford them or even have access to a doctor to prescribe them, but that’s a story for another time).

I am suggesting, however, that we be aware of the media manipulation in which we’re saturated for the express purpose of keeping us watching (so we can see all those ads addressing our fears ranging from body odor to heart attacks). I found myself being sucked into the TV coverage believing that if I just watched through the next set of commercials, then I’d learn something new and important about the coming hurricane. After about the third segment, when no new “news” was actually being conveyed, I turned off the TV. The hurricane was coming. It was going to be devastating. It was time to do two much more important things: Check in with my people in southwest Georgia and then to pray the Daily Office with special intention for those in the path of Michael.

+Scott