ION Television

At least three nights a week I come home late at night, after my adoration hours.  Often my mind continues to churn over thoughts begun in the chapel.  I’ve found that if I just hop into bed, the thoughts often continue, and sleep does not come easy.  And so I’ve formed the habit of pouring a glass of wine and watching television for a half hour or so, to get me drowsy.

The late night viewing options on the few cable channels I pay for are usually very old movies --- often black and white --- or commercials for some product I don’t need.  So usually I turn to ION Television, a cable channel which shows re-runs of long running series, like Blue Bloods, CSI, or NCIS.

I noted again last night the commercial on ION for something called Values.com.  The commercial showed scenes of the earth’s beauty:  mountains, rivers, trees and sunsets --- and smiling faces from around the world, and in one of the commercials John Denver sings one of his songs of love in the background.  All in all, Values.com has created some absolutely beautiful, restful commercials.  They make me smile.

I thought about all the shows presented on ION Television, and it dawned on me that most of its shows display a very Christian image of morality.  With few exceptions, there are no sex scenes, no cursing, and the good guys almost always win --- or you perceive the moral lesson if they don’t.  And on some of the shows, you even see praying!

ION Television’s typical self-promotion commercial has characters from the various re-run shows standing in front of the ION logo and saying:  “ION Television, positively entertaining.”  The commercials always struck me as being pretty dumb.

But as so often happens, the Lord slapped me upside of the head, and showed me how it was I who was being pretty dumb.  It happened at the men’s Bible Study.  The guys were talking about evangelizing in our culture.  One commented on how he had to pause to choose the right words, so as to not offend anyone when he spoke.  “It’s like we have to hide the Good News, like we’re afraid to say the truth bluntly.” 

And then I, wise as I am, contributed my great insight:  “Yes, it’s like on ION Television’s broadcasting of moral television shows.”  And I related to them about the Values.com ad and how ION Television seems almost ashamed to advertise its good shows, and its stupid motto:  “ION Television, positively entertaining.”  And even as I said the words, the light went on in my brain.  ION presents morality in a positive light, it’s positively entertaining.  Positively, as opposed to negatively, like shows on all the other channels.

Sheesh!  Why hadn’t I noticed that before, “the hidden message”?  Are they being subtle because they also worried about offending anyone, concerned with being politically correct?

It’s a sad state we are in --- a sad state I am in --- when we can’t say or see the good right in front of us.  ION Television:  it IS positively entertaining.  You might choose to watch it over other channels, even in the early evening hours.  I  do.