Competing Spectacles vs. The One True Spectacle

Reinke’s Warning About Digital Distractions and the Cross That Still Outshines Them All

Tony Reinke’s Competing Spectacles is one of the clearest maps I’ve read of what happened to us. We’re drowning in visual noise — endless scrolls, viral clips, aesthetic feeds — all competing for our gaze while the greatest spectacle in history gets pushed to the edge.

Once I stepped out of that constant stream for a few years, the difference became obvious. The passive “vibes” culture doesn’t just entertain; it trains us to avoid anything that disrupts the show — like an actual “no.”

But Scripture is clear: “The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life — none of that comes from the Father” (1 John 2:16). The flesh loves spectacle. The Spirit fixes our eyes on the cross.

Lewis in The Weight of Glory reminded us that every person we meet is an immortal soul. Schaeffer saw the void coming when truth became preference. Edwards painted the cross as the ultimate display of both justice and mercy. Tozer pleaded with us to veil our faces from lesser lights and seek God alone.

The antithesis is stark: culture’s spectacles entertain and numb; the cross transforms and convicts. The same pull-out that let me see the silent shift also let me see the cross more clearly.

What spectacle are you actually beholding today? The wilderness outside the feed is a good place to find out.