Screens, Horror Movies and Fear of the Outdoors

I had a bit of an epiphany this morning.

I don't watch horror movies.  They seem to stick in my brain and then I walk around for days looking over my shoulder.

I don't watch crime shows, normally, for the same reason.

That said, I recently started watching the program Psych with my son.  We seem to have met on a common ground.  It makes me laugh and they are solving crimes which he likes.

Until last night.

 If you're familiar with the show, I jumped in at season three.  The episode Tuesday the 17th was the one we watched last night.  Once I realized what was going on, it felt to far in to walk away.  

In the end, I had that gross feeling.  I was thinking, now every time I'm out in the woods at a camp, I'm gonna wonder, "Who is the psycho that wants to kill us all?"

And this is why I don't watch those shows.

This morning, I was prayerful.  And I had this thought.  These type of movies create, in many folks, fear.  Fear of the outdoors.  This is just one thing that does it, but it is one.

What about all the movies that show the beauty of nature.  Idyllic scenes.  Happy scenes.  Do we get hung up and focus on those?  Do we think, I can't wait to get outside and run through a meadow of wild flowers?

I told someone recently, and I've long held this belief, when we put a child "safely" in front of a screen, with FDA approved "food" to protect them, it's just like taking away their Bible to protect them from religion.

Disconnecting children, disconnecting ourselves from nature is disconnecting ourselves from our creator.  It's disconnecting us from peace.  It is disconnecting us from healing.

What we feed our brain and focus on grows.  Isn't it time, to put down the screen and help the children (and parents) face their fears and take a step outside their front door?  And then another step and another.

Just something to think about this morning!