Have you ever noticed how often Burger King attempts to present its customer base with a new product, as if they realize their customers are rather unhappy with what they currently have? Things like Mac n Cheetos, Jalapeño Chicken Fries, and Chicken Rings are now consuming their menu. This large chain restaurant unknowingly is a small-scale model of what is happening in culture today. Culture is in a constant state of desire for goodness, truth and beauty as if people realize that they are unhappy with what they have. People spend their entire lives looking for the object that fulfills this desire, yet they still cannot seem to find something that appeases it. The previous generations usually decided that this desire could only be fulfilled through the common idea of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. However, the current generation has found this desire to be fulfilled in things like pornography, social media, and radical entitlement issues. Specifically, in media and art, the struggle for seeking what will ultimately lead people to true “happiness” or pleasurable satisfaction has become the main goal. These two areas of culture seem to have made a critical shift in their purpose, or rather, the culture has made a critical shift in its purpose and these two areas are displaying the affects of that shift more prominently. Media and art have always been used to help people pursue a life that is reflective of the culture around them. This shift used to be focused primarily outward towards others is now something that is self-centered.

Media is aching to be redeemed. There is a constant search for the next big thing that is going to bring in the most dollars and create the biggest reaction from opposing sides. On the CNN tour in Atlanta, Georgia, messages are constantly heard from videos and tour guides on how CNN strives to know the truth and get the full story of whatever they may be covering. However, when asked how they determined what stories were aired for millions to see, their answer came down to whatever will bring in the most money and viewers. This is what media has become, no longer seeking what is true and objective and instead pursuing views and money. In the same way, longing has left pursuit of knowledge. When reading a book, if a person is only concerned with what the knowledge can do for them, it looses the appreciation of the actual thing and the goodness it holds. Appreciation for goodness in news, social media, and other areas has disappeared and has now become an appreciation for dollars. We must learn to gain the appreciation that comes with knowledge to go out and redeem media in striving towards a flourishing life.

Redeeming these areas requires influence. Influence can be defined as “the capacity to change someone or something either directly or indirectly.” Every single person has the ability to make a difference, no matter his or her circumstances. Creators have a unique perspective. They have a specific advantage point to connect with people. But what are they communicating? All art gives a certain worldview; we must learn to form a biblical worldview in order to engage culture with care, compassion and courage to ultimately bring others closer to the chief end of man, to glorify God.

Just like art is useful to engage culture, so is knowledge. However, wisdom is not achieved until Christ is the center. Knowledge is not only information that teaches us about the world, it beautifully displays God’s desire for humanity as His image bearers. This desire in creation is wonder. When Christians loose the ability to see God’s wonder as desire for them, their mission of being a light is lost. Through gaining appreciation of knowledge and wisdom, we will learn how to serve others in their cities by helping them connect the appreciation that comes with wisdom. John Stott says, “Like salt in putrefying meat, Christians are to hinder social decay. Like light in the prevailing darkness, Christians are to illumine society and show it a better way." We as Christ followers are to bring our creative service to different vocations because what a society strives for is what it creates. Through guiding others towards a flourishing life in media, art, etc, Christians are able to bring others closer to God’s plan for his household of creation.