The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley
Week 7: Weekly Habit 2 — One Hour of Curated Media
Read the chapter on One Hour of Curated Media in The Common Rule. Key Scripture: Philippians 4:8; Psalm 101:3.
Previewing Week 7 of The Common Rule
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
This week's habit asks a harder question than 'how much media do you consume?' — it asks who is doing the choosing, and toward what end. Bring your honest media diet to this conversation.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Earley is not a media-abstainer — he argues for curated media, not no media. What is his core distinction between passive media consumption and active, intentional curation? How would you characterize your own media habits using those categories?
2.He describes the way our media feeds are designed to surface content that provokes outrage, envy, or anxiety because those emotions drive engagement. Can you think of a recent time when your media consumption left you feeling worse — more anxious, angry, or despairing — than before you started?
3.Philippians 4:8 is a remarkably concrete instruction: 'Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable — think about these things.' How does Earley use this verse, and what does it suggest about the connection between what we feed our minds and what we become?
a.What media in your life currently fits that description — things that are genuinely true, lovely, and commendable?
b.What doesn't fit, but you consume anyway? What need does it serve?