The Evil Blue Light or the Nattering Nabob of Negativity

Last updated on: May 28, 2021 at 11:35 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

The Evil Blue Light or the Nattering Nabob of Negativity 2021-05-28T11:35:36-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Never trust the person best known for what he is against.

There was, family legend asserts, a man opposed to everything. If you enjoyed a thing, say a hairstyle, he would be sure to see in the bob a sign of coming evils. He worried about holidays, Christmas pageants, and “the evil blue light.” This was a television set in the days when television screens consisted of a big tube and were black and white. Wherever he went, he saw the evil blue light through living room windows.

The first bad sign is when a person drives about looking through everyone’s living room windows. This is dangerous in at least two different ways: as a driver and as a citizen. The fatal tipoff is that this was just another in a long list of evils, with intensity of judgment being roughly correlated with the pleasure anyone derived from the activity. The more fun, the more suspect the activity. Beware the nattering nabob of negativity: they have missed the joy of the Lord.

Since God will end creation in a feast, becoming defined by what one is against can reveal very bad thinking.

The nabob of negativity always will have an excuse. After all, the “evil blue light” did have negative social consequences. Television was misused and could cut off other good activities. There was nothing wrong with cautions. Note that caution with new technology and moderation with any pleasure is good. All of this can be done by loving goodness, truth, and beauty joyfully and so retreating from excess or defect in any entertainment.

Naturally, there can be no moderation in vice. Being against injustice is necessary. Ending segregation would have been a noble cause, but even in the pursuit of the best of causes, monomania is a danger. ‘Ware the pro-life warrior who can speak of nothing but the evils of abortion. Be cautious about anyone, even an academic, whose output is a steady drumbeat of what they are against. The “evil blue light” is everywhere they look. The cause may be just, but the person risks an ugliness of soul.

This is not to argue “both sides.” Segregation was wrong, abortion is evil, yet my grandparents long ago observed that when anyone became obsessed with vice, there was something up. Virtue is the goal: not the absence of vice. We want justice, not merely the end of some injustice.

In a book this will often be a chapter on “the problem” with only a short bit on “the solution.” The Biblical prophets condemned the powerful, but on the basis of a clear, compelling vision of a better city. The old Jerusalem was judged, but only in the light of the beauty of God and His justice. I recently read someone, a nabob of negativity, who saw the beloved community of Christ’s Kingdom as being defined by allowing anyone to judge. Having said almost nothing about the good, he returned to condemnation of his particular evil blue lights. He sees them everywhere.

And things are broken, badly so. This must be said plainly. Yet this cannot define us or the evil we see will twist us. We look to beauty and then give a prophetic word against the ugliness of the time. We see the promise of television and then warn about the misuse of the blue light. We must, because the fundamental truth is that God’s creation is good.

The good is marred and that is bad, but the good is fundamental. One can look to the stars to see what is nearly perfect, hardly marred by the fall of devils and men.

Be against being against everything, since God made all things.

Television, I think, monitored by my folks did me much more good than harm. I hope the same is true of my now adult children. The blue light, now multicolored, can be a window to other worlds, a source of learning, and jolly good fun. We use it best when we look beyond the set to God. In the light of His goodness and grace, we can see what is licit and rejoice in what is lawful. Thank God.

Culture

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

May 18, 2021

The Word Becomes Flesh

Next Post

May 20, 2021 Greetings UFO Pilgrims: Sorry about the Mess

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What fruit did Adam and Eve eat in the Garden of Eden?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Forbidden fruit Lemon Banana Grape

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »