The Wire and the Reality of Evil

Last updated on: August 17, 2009 at 2:20 pm by Amy Julia Becker

The Wire and the Reality of Evil 2009-08-17T14:20:00-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

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.

Peter and I watch TV the way other people go to the movies. We watch about once a week, always together. It is always an event. We pick one show at a time. Years ago, it was Survivor. Then The West Wing. Then Lost, interspersed by summer series to make up the long stretches without any new episodes. Last summer we blazed through two seasons of 24. This summer, we started watching The Wire.

The Wire was an HBO series that started in 2002 and was highly acclaimed throughout its five seasons. I heartily endorse it too, but it keeps me up at night. It keeps me up at night because it is very realistic—all the scenes are shot on location and some of the actors are from the streets of Baltimore and it was created by a former reporter from the Baltimore Sun who knew the city inside and out. It is very realistic, and the bad guys are winning.

Lots of shows deal with good and evil. But for the most part, the good guys win. Jack Bauer in 24 dismantles the bomb in the end. The President is saved from assassination. The kidnapped daughter gets rescued. Even when good guys die, I can fall back on the knowledge that this is a heavily fictionalized construction of reality. This isn’t how it really works.

But The Wire is different. Here, the good guys are few and far between, and they probably aren’t going to make it. It leaves me longing for change. Longing for something, someone, somehow to break into the mess of poverty and drugs and guns and greed and make it all different. It makes me long for God’s presence to be more tangible. And it makes me wonder whether I have avoided the reality of evil for too long.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 14, 2009

Pray Like a Child

Next Post

August 21, 2009 Mess

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month 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 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz