After 8 seasons, Game of Thrones is over. It’s been astonishing to see the show evolve into a cultural phenomenon. It engulfed its viewers with storylines and plot twists. It dominated social media content; after each episode aired, there was immediate reaction from the fandom with critiques, discussion and speculation about what would happen next. In fact, as of April 29th, there were 52 million tweets about GOT. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the show transcended entertainment. It became something entirely different.
People are clearly obsessed with Game of Thrones. What surprises me most is not the obsession itself, but who is obsessed with it. Namely, all of the Christ-loving, holiness-pursuing, Bible-reading friends who watch it religiously. I’ve never seen the show so I’m writing only from what I know about it, but isn’t it filled with graphic nudity, sex, rape, incest, gruesome brutality, violent murder and torture?
I fully realize that those who don’t ascribe to biblically informed ethics or morals or boundaries won’t be offended by the darkness, but what I can’t wrap my mind around is that people who run hard after Jesus are also taking a breather to inhale obscenity as entertainment.
On one level, I get it; the acting is superb and the writing is incredibly compelling. Does that allow us to give it a pass on everything else?
If you’re reading this and you love Jesus and love Game of Thrones, let me take a guess at what you’re thinking right now.
“It’s just a show…it’s not real life.”
“The sexual and violent content doesn’t affect me.”
“Settle down. You’re just spewing legalism, prude.”
“Culture already thinks we’re weird enough. Watching what they watch is a way to engage them.”
“Yeah, but it’s a slippery slope. As soon as you make strict rules like this, all TV is out.”
“You don’t have to watch it, so why do you care if I do?”
The reason I disagree with all these objections is pretty simple: they’re justifications. Using any of these rationales is a concession that there is something wrong in watching GOT as entertainment. It’s an admission, now you’re just reaching for a reason to watch it. And to me, that seems like a pretty low standard for any Gospel-transformed person to live within.
The reason I’m asking you to consider ending your love affair with Game of Thrones is not because I’m on a crusade against one particular show, it’s because I want God’s will for your life as well as mine. Paul makes clear what that is in 1 Thes 4:3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”
God wants you to take holiness seriously. God wants you to look like Christ. God’s hope is that when people see you, they will get a glimpse of Him (1 Pet. 1:13-15). When we disregard purity and morality, when we make the very things that put Jesus on the cross “must-see” TV, we’re actively taking steps backward toward the life we were freed from.
If you’re an avid fan of GOT, I’m not saying you don’t know Jesus. I’m saying you don’t know yourself. You don’t understand how the things you ingest awaken or numb your affections for Christ and His Kingdom. No one watching explicit sex scenes will afterward cherish and honor God’s design for sex in the context of marriage more. No one watching brutality has a greater compassion for the hurting. You can’t enjoy an episode of GOT for the glory of God, and if you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be doing it (1 Cor. 10:31). This is not meant to be a guilt trip… it’s just a reality check.
Purity of heart and mind is a big deal. You’ve been set apart, destined for glory. Why would you intentionally put anything in the way? We become what we behold. This demands that we pay attention to what we are watching.
This is true for all forms of entertainment—movies, TV, music, books, websites, etc. In an increasingly morally depraved culture, we need to tread carefully. Holiness is not an option. It’s God’s will for us. Let’s be a people who heed the words of Paul and “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Eph 5: 15-16).”
