Escapism

Danish winter-trekearth

A very cold winter like temperature and wind chill is here in the Lower Mainland already.

My Mom, that is basically deaf and cannot hear the television well is downstairs watching Hockey Night in Canada and I hear her state 'The Canucks scored'.

No Mom, that is the Leafs.

She confuses the royal blue with white Leafs with the royal blue with white and green, Canucks. When they are both on the road, just alternate the blue and white. It is also confusing for certain seniors and non-hockey fans, I suppose, that often the Leafs start the program and when the game ends the network immediately switches to the Canucks. As well since 2011 there is the Jets, version two, that wear royal blue with sky blue and white, alternating the blue and white for road games. To make matters worse the Jets have a red leaf on their uniform, contrasted by the Leafs blue one, but certainly enough to confuse a casual observer.

In Canada basically the three largest cities Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, especially the first two, dominate the national sports media and National Hockey League media and the four smaller hockey markets and other markets in other sports leagues, tend to be secondary on a national level.

Mom just yelled upstairs, 'The game is going into overtime and I don't see the twins (Sedins) playing tonight.

Me:

'Mom that is because you are watching Toronto, the Canucks are on next'.

Mom:

'No, it is the Canucks, oh, maybe you are right'.

Later

Mom:

'Vancouver is playing next!'

Escapism

I discussed the subject of 'Escapism' briefly in my 2003 British MPhil thesis, but although I will note and document it here, that is not the context of this 2013 post.

From Woods:

Escapism: Interestingly, Woods tried to categorize eastern religions as one group who did not deny God but attempted to escape suffering. Woods made two valid points in regard to Islam and Hinduism, but it must be noted that they are different in that Islam is a monotheist faith, Hinduism being polytheist. The fact that they have drastically different concepts of God alone means that they do not fit under the same religious umbrella. A concept that both faiths have in common is the denial of Christ’s work alone being essential for salvation, but these denials are true of all non-Christian philosophy.

For this post the Concise Oxford Dictionary will suffice where it states escapism is 'the tendency to seek distraction and relief from reality, especially in the arts or through fantasy.' Oxford (1995: 460).

I take a moderate and mixed philosophical position on escapism.

On the 'pro' side, I am in favour of escapism as I think it is at times a God-given, reasonable philosophical, practical approach to life. Work as in employment, academy study, domestic life and exercise can be physically and mentally tiring and escaping to the worlds of art, as is music, fine arts, film and television for example, or the world of sports, or video games can be relaxing and educational endeavors away from the more serious work of life.

On the 'con' side, escapism can become too frequent and intense and used as a way to avoid the challenges of life that may seem too daunting, or there is little obvious hope in overcoming certain difficulties.

This can lead to for example, one playing far too many video games instead of improving one's career or social life. It could lead one to watching all the National Football games on Sunday, at the expense of family and friends and not taking social opportunities to meet new people. Another example in the area of the arts, is to spend too much time watching films, or downloading MP3s instead of seeking to better one's career, family life and overall social life.

I would deduce with the busy lives of many in the Western World and the amounts of various types of work that there is often too much escapism in the West.

From a Christian perspective with New Testament commands and directives in regard to love of God and others, both in and outside of the church (John 15, Matthew 22, Mark 12) and the call for discipleship and mission (Matthew 28), it is reasonable that God does desire and command a very significant focus on the reality of life.

Not only various types of work, family and social life, but also a significant focus on ministry and mission.

Personally, I play far less video games than I did prior to leaving for England and eventually Wales to study. I use the internet and web for career, ministry and social means, but limit my use, as I do not blog on Facebook or Google+, for example, and am attempting to increase real life interactions.

I fully admit I am very much in process, but I am not trying to escape becoming something better and more useful within the Kingdom.

Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995), Oxford, Clarendon Press.

WOODS, B.W. (1974) Christians in Pain, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

English Bay-Caron Smed, Vancouver BC