I recently saw Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It’s the story of Percy, a demi-god whose father is Posiedon, the god of water. Posiedon’s brothers (Zeus and Hades) believe that Percy has stolen Zeus’ lightning bolt, and now Percy must find the true culprit and rescue his mother from Hades’ prison in Hell before the deadline is up. So he and his two friends set out on a journey that leads them through encounters with dangers, excitement and evil gods.
In one particular adventure they must visit a casino in Las Vegas to recover a pearl that will help them out of Hell once they get there. As soon as they enter the casino, they are bombarded with waitresses offering them pink, flower-shaped Lotus cookies. They hesitate at first but eventually succumb to the scrumptious treat.
As they bite into the cookie they discover it is the most delicious treat they have ever tasted. At once they forget their original purpose. They forget about the pearl. They forget about Percy’s mom. They lose track of time. Instead they believe their sole purpose is to have fun. So they set out on evening of gambling, laughing, playing games. All the while consuming more of the special pink cookies.
After awhile Percy hears his father’s voice, “Percy, you must wake up. Don’t eat another cookie.” Percy slowly wakes from his slumber to realize the delicious treats had lulled him and his friends to sleep, away from reality, away from their mission. Though it only seemed like an hour to them they wake to realize they had “slept” for days and now they were upon their deadline. The gods had deceived them.
As I watched this scene I thought of how too the enemy of our souls lulls us to sleep. How many things in our lives serve as Lotus cookies? How often, for example, television invites us to sit down, take a rest from our busy days, only to find we’ve spent our whole evenings lost in a world of fiction. Or, how often does alcohol beckon just one drink and then just one more. An hour of relaxing becomes another night of partying in which we’ve shirked responsibility. Lotus cookies can come in many forms—romance, fit bodies, sex, wealth, living the American dream, comfort, happiness. Like Percy and his friends, when we consume too much of these pleasantries, they can take control of our hearts, singing our minds to sleep.
These potential idols have the power to distract us, to pull us away from our true purpose. We don’t exist to have fun. Our purpose is not to find the one true love. Meaning does not result from having purchased a flat screen T.V. over which we can spend all evening watching sports or sitcoms or so-called reality shows.
So like Poseidon’s father, the Holy Spirit whispers to us, “Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you” (Eph 5:14). Many of us have fallen asleep. We have lost sight of our purpose. The things of the world, the things of comfort and ease, the pursuit of the American dream has cast a drowsy spell on us. Paul reminds us that our purpose is to “be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph 5:1, 2).
We are on a mission to live for the glory of God, to reveal His love, mercy, justice and hope to the people in our world. Paul warns us to “be careful how [we] walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of [our] time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15, 16). How often, I wonder, do I live as an unwise person because I waste my life on things that don’t ultimately matter? Watching a T.V. show in and of itself is not evil, though it can be. Drinking a glass of wine is not a sin and seeking to be physically is not mere vanity.
I just wonder, however, as I examine my own life and the culture of the American church if many of us have fallen asleep. Are we making the most of our time? Instead of investing our hours in TNT dramas or late nights at the office, should we perhaps spend our time in pursuits such as, serving the homeless, mentoring a college student, mowing a neighbor’s yard, conversing with our family at dinner, coaching a basketball team in the inner-city?
As those on a mission to reveal Christ to the world, we ought to live as He would live. Would Jesus spend most of His evenings watching sitcoms or reviewing reports at the office or spending hours playing the Wii?* I just can’t imagine the answer is yes. With Christ as our Teacher, then, why should we live any differently?
So let us not slumber. Let us give heed to the Spirit’s whisper. Let us wake. And let us continue on this adventure of living for the glory of God, of seeking His kingdom, of fighting the good fight of faith. For we know that “all that is the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (I John 2:17).
*I do believe that if Jesus were in human form today He might very well play video games, especially with a group of people. Christ focused on building relationships, and I think He could enjoy playing Super Mario Bros with some buddies. But I don’t think He would continually spend hours lost in the world of fantasy to the exclusion of present-day realities, like caring for the poor, helping the needy, and developing the spiritual growth of others.
