Joan Chittister wrote that we are living in a world that constantly pulls us our ourselves. That sounds good, right? Except that she explains this is because we live other people's lives - the characters on television and in the movies. Maybe we live the life of a celebrity and virtually feel good that "our celebrity" is reaching out to the disenfranchised with the wealth he/she could just store up. Reality Shows can place us in the dream of another and we can see those dreams shatter without suffering the pain of it. In fact we may even feel better about ourselves - for a moment. Voyeurs all, says Chittister. However I do believe we have the freedom to differentiate. That is really what a spirituality for the media is - a way to be mindful of the world we live in, our reactions in this world, and our communion with those in the "real" world in which we live in each day. E-noise can surround us yet we can turn it lower as we sit with the Word of God. Virtuality can tempt us to escape, yet we can be in communion with others through the Word made flesh.
