Life is fraught with danger. We all take measures to make ourselves as safe as possible when driving and flying, when interacting with strangers, when we lock ourselves in our house, when we choose where to eat. Over time we’ve developed systems that allow us to feel somewhat assured that we probably won’t die as a result of these things.

Entertainment is different. We don’t associate it with danger because it exists to make us feel safe, to connect us to strangers, to fill those quiet moments with self-assurances. Even those types of entertainment that play off of our fears provide implicit comfort by sticking to formulas and by respecting pre-defined lines drawn in the sand. They never really affect us directly, we assume. They’re happening out there, not in here. We’re just watching them.

But that’s not entirely true. The more a work draws a line in the sand between itself and your own world, the more danger you are in when you watch it. Whether it’s a romantic comedy, an erotic film, or a slapstick comedy, these works rely on your implicit trust and acceptance, and in order to do that they must convince you that there are no implications to what you are seeing on the screen.

But ideas have consequences, even when they masquerade as two-dimensional characters and plot-devices. Images, stories, refrains, and game mechanics can change us, for better, yes, but also for worse. And for media that requires collaboration, people are often exploited, exposed, and overworked in order to produce media that meets our expectations.

When we take an active part in culture (and we all are), we stand on the precipice of a grand canyon. We can marvel at it, learn from it, it can make us appreciate God and our own lives more. But if we step blithely too far into it, or take a step without paying much attention, we can do ourselves a lot of harm, all the while leading others into that very same precipice.

While we may talk a lot about appreciation and the misguided knee-jerk avoidance of culture, the fact is that it’s deceptively easy to shrug off the dangers that come with delving too deeply into dark, deceptive, or seductive media.

Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.” He wrote those words at a time when mass media and popular culture didn’t exist in the way it does now. Yet he knew the nature of the beast: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

I don’t share the oft-implied cynical mindset that Hollywood or other secular culture-makers are adopting the same posture, prowling around like roaring lions and devouring whatever Christians stumble in their direction. But I do share Peter’s sentiment that the world is a playground of both grace and sin, and that sin can be used to our great detriment if it is given a foothold.

Because of that, I try to take an active, careful role in my cultural consumption. I try to find opportunities to acknowledge natural sin where it is, and combat it with beauty, grace, and truth whenever possible. Sometimes that means thoughtful and active engagement with misguided and harmful ideas. And yes, sometimes that means avoidance.