From the blog, Jack’s Winning Words, comes this little tidbit – “Television is where you watch people in your living room that you would not want near your house.” (Groucho Marx)
Groucho’s saying certainly rings true during this silly season of politics. If you believe all of the political ads that are being run on TV there’s not an honest, trustworthy politician running from either party. None of them are running many ads that focus upon what they might do if elected; however, all of them are warning us about the dangers of electing the scum bags that they are running against. If you believe one political attack add, you might as well believe them all.
Looking at the television and cable program line-ups; once you get past the news and a few game show hosts, there aren’t a lot characters in shows (especially in prime time) that you might want to invite into your home. I suppose that viewers get some pleasure out of seeing people in those shows who are more flawed than themselves; but, would you invite them in, if those characters showed up in person?
Jack asked a question at the end of his blog post – who’s a TV personality that you might want in your living room? I think Lester Holt, anchor the NBC Nightly News, might make an interesting guess or even Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy. Perhaps some of the personalities from the reality travel and adventure shows would also have interesting stories to share.
A sad variation on Groucho’s quote is also true for too many– Church is where you pray to a God that you do not allow near your house. For many the experience of going to church on Sunday is primarily a social gathering; a place to see and be seen and to chat with people that you see only once a week (if that often). It can be all too easy to leave whatever religious feeling that you get on Sunday at the church doors and not take that Christian Spirit home with you.
Sometimes Christ is not invited into the home, because it is inconvenient to consider the question, “What would Jesus do?” Sometimes the world that we live in becomes so loud and fast and all-consuming that we just don’t have time for God in our daily lives. We’ll wait and go to church on Sunday, because that is the day for worship – if, of course, there
isn’t soccer practice or a match that morning.
Perhaps you say, ”after soccer’s over, we’ll go to church” – “oh, wait, then hockey starts and Sunday morning is the time when they could get ice time for practice.”
When did Sunday morning become sports practice and game time? When did taking time to worship God become less important than sports practice and games? Are you more comfortable inviting the soccer or hockey coaches into your house than God? What are your children learning from what they see happening? Do they see God as an invited guest in your house?
If you go to church, why is it important to also invite God into your house? Think about it. Church services are a combination of social events and a structured worship experience. It is certainly possible to have a person experience with God during a church service; 
however, how much better and more intimate a setting for that experience is the comfort and quiet of your own house. It is there that you can have those meaningful, one-on-one experiences with God that shape your life and help you solve your problems.
So, take some time to turn off the TV and invite God into your house. You don’t have to do anything showy; just sit there quietly and have a talk with God. I think that you will find it more fascinating than a discussion with Lester Holt or Alex Trebek and certainly a lot more rewarding. God is waiting for your invitation.
Who are you inviting into your house?
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