Competing Spectacles

How can Christians keep their gaze on Christ in the digital age? 

The Age of the Spectacle

Competing Spectacles, a new book from Tony Reinke, seeks to answer this question. The book is divided into two parts. The first half is dedicated to examining the age that we live in. Reinke claims that everything is clamoring for our attention. 

We are all distracted spectacle seekers. We battle with the spectacle of the self in social media, and we battle with the spectacle of the self in gaming. He proves his points in 33 short, concise chapters filled with scholarly references and examples from his own life. I was challenged to see the world with new eyes.

The Spectacle

The second half of the book is given to examining the cross of Christ as The World’s Greatest Spectacle precisely because it is where we see the glory of God. A compelling case is made for the Biblical connection between seeing and hearing. 
 

As the communications director for desiringGod.org and the author of 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, Tony Reinke understands the importance of correct media consumption in the digital age. He ends the book with practical applications and exhortations to behold beauty and look towards Christ. I was challenged and compelled to examine my habits and live a more disciplined life.

Turn Your Eyes

As I was reading through the book, I stopped at a quote from Psalm 101:3 - “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” I tweeted this verse and Tony Reinke retweeted it with the following caption: “Try it. Pray this resolve to God every morning for 30 days.”

Tony’s tweet gives support to a superpower that is needed for us all. Only God can change our hearts. And when God changes our hearts, he also turns our eyes. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

I was provided a complimentary copy of Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age in exchange for an honest review.