Approaching 50: Reflections on Grey

Recently I started watching Grey's Anatomy. This comes after a long time of refusing to watch it based on commercials that emphasize the sexual exploits of these "medical professionals." I am just tired of watching violence and sexual infidelity on TV, not to mention the reality shows (OK, I've never actually watched a reality TV show, except the dancing ones...). So, most of the summer I watched "Whose line is it anyway?" But somehow one night I found myself watching Grey's Anatomy, and for a while I was hooked. Now, I don't know???

One night last week the episode ended with the main character, Meredith Grey, literally standing between the two men she is involved with, one a married doctor and her passion, the other a widowed veterinarian for whom she is his passion. Both were asking her to take her home from this pseudo-prom (you had see the show), and she stood there unable to decide.

The next night continues the story, who knows how she got home, maybe she drove herself? In this episode both men tell her they love her and that she has choice to make. The still-married doctor says, "take all the time you need." Which is charming and fair, except he still apparently hasn't told his wife nor brought that relationship to a just conclusion....(granted he was wounded by his wife when he caught her in bed with his "best" friend, which is the background to all of this, but two wrongs don't make a right)...

The idea of having an affair is clearly tempting in our world, and nothing new. Lately, I think, it really comes down to our world losing its ability to articulate what sin is. No one wants to talk about it, sin has become that big, misused term for labeling out dated expectations for behavior. Or, at least that is my brief assessment of our inability to acknowledge sin.

But really, sin is very much a part of our lives. My working definition of sin: broken relationship in all its forms; broken between the people in our lives, family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, strangers, and broken relationship between us and God. And one cannot fix that broken-ness with more broken-ness.

I guess being nearly 50 and married for 21 years I just see things differently than someone in their 20's or 30's. Certainly waaaay back when I had my fair share of trying to figure out relationships, and not always with the highest degree of integrity (for self or others)....I've lived the pain and heartache of being impulsive and following my libido into those momentary passions....(Ok, sometimes I had a lot of fun doing so, but in the end it was all short lived)....

And the reality is I'm still trying to figure out relationships, only now I struggle with how to effectively parent teen age kids, how to effectively respond to the pastoral needs of a congregation, how to grow old (do I color my hair or is grey ok?), how to find any passion in a comfortable long term marriage, how to balance time for self and others, etc. etc. etc....

I like the idea of the TV show "Grey's Anatomy" based on the premise of looking at those grey areas of life...and I like that it is a successful show created by a woman. I'll just have to see if the nuances and plot lines hold my attention, probably based on the degree to which those grey areas move toward integrity and not just exploitation of self and others; which for TV would be very refreshing.