I need an intervention. I have an addiction and Katie is enabling it with her own habit. Our drug of choice? Intervention.
Have you ever watched it? It’s a show on A&E that is the most dramatic and honest (brutally) show on television. You can even watch full episodes on their web site. The premise is they follow an addict for a couple of weeks under the guise of filming a documentary about addiction. It’s all leading up to the show’s climax, the intervention, at the end of the hour-long show. We’ve watched 6 episodes this week alone. Here’s why, though. It’s totally redemptive. It’s about the triumph of love over death, of relationship over sickness, of wholeness over brokenness. And I cry in every episode. Sometimes you sympathize with the addict, sometimes with the mom, or the husband—but in every episode, there’s at least one heroic person who’s reached the end of their rope. Most times, heroism happens at the end of ropes.
The show has the exact same format each week. We’re introduced to the addict in a confessional-style interview. The producers inexplicably have them spell their name (a silly thing that I’ve begun to say along with them) then the family's and friends’ interviews are spliced in to give an overview of the problem. There’s always a photo and video montage of the addict as a child where you see the innocence, the enthusiasm, the smiles. But there is always something sinister, something darker just around the corner which leads into the addiction and its effects that leads up to the unexpected intervention. But the absolute best part of the show happens immediately after the subject is checked into rehab. The screen fades to black and three words appear: Two Months Later. The suspense is incredible. Did he succeed? Did she do it? Most of the time it’s a success story that get the tears flowing. Other times you find out they’ve relapsed or got kicked out of recovery.
The things people use to numb their pain can be surprising, but thing is, we all have a tendency to self-medicate. Some people spend money to forget their problems, some eat. I know people who are addicted to church and worship as a form of numbing themselves. That sounds like heresy doesn’t it? The truth, though, is that to the extent that we use anything (whether it’s worship music, dating, shopping, or heroin) as a means of escaping the things the Spirit wants to deal with (our pain, brokenness, insecurities, etc), we’re missing the entire point Jesus was trying to make when He said the Truth will set you free. Ignoring the truth is called denial and numbing the pain with anything is called medicating.
The people on Intervention aren’t any different from any of
us except maybe they’re just riskier with their drugs.
(rw)
I've watched a couple episodes through your link here. They are very moving. (I think I was sniffling during the introduction of the first one!) Sure made me think about the possible strongholds that are present in my life. This was an awesome, thought-provoking blog, Randy. Thank you.
Posted by: Laura Anderson | August 30, 2008 at 07:42 AM
Holy Crap...That's amazing. We don't have cable so we don't get A&E. I just watched the whole episode online and wept. Restoration is so fulfilling...especially for a father to his daughter. I totally get the addiction...
Posted by: Chad Cates | August 28, 2008 at 07:30 PM
I used to watch this show until I got sick of seeing the tacky hotel rooms they meet in for the "invervention portion" of the show. They always pick the ungliest place to have it..and the mini-van that they haul them off in at the end...is a bit much. Plus it seems like they ship them all to CA....home of the free. HE HE
Posted by: Amy Michel- Angela's sister | August 28, 2008 at 03:15 PM