Intelligence in Jeopardy

This evening as I sat watching Jeopardy (as I often do), I yelled out the answers that I thought I knew. When it came to the final category a blue background with white letters appeared, spelling out "Events of the Bible". I got pretty excited, because I really enjoy bible trivia, and I really enjoy jeopardy, so the combination had me literally on the edge of my seat. My favourite game show host read the clue or "answer" aloud. 

"ACTS 1:13 SAYS THIS EVENT OCCURRED IN 'AN UPPER ROOM' "

I have read this passage several times, listened to sermons based on it, and even studied it extensively in my "Intro to New Testament" class and my "Contemporary Global Christianity" class, so you better believe I yelled out "PENTECOST!" While the "think" music played, I started to explain to the television all about pentecost, the speaking in tongues, the people that were present, the promise of the Spirit, and then I went on to inform the tv about how Peter was hungry on the roof and a four cornered sheet was lowered from heaven with animals to eat, and the significance of said animals. 

By this time the music ended and the two remaining contestants revealed their responses, or "questions". The female contestant had written "What is The Last Supper?" (which we do know happened in a place called The Upper Room), but the male contestant had written "What is Pentecost?" which both happened in an Upper Room and it is written about in the beginning of the Book of Acts. 

Alex declared that "What is The Last Supper?" was the correct response, which made me both disappointed for yelling what he considered to be incorrect, and it also made me feel guilty for not knowing what I consider to be an important passage of scripture. I headed to Biblegateway just to make sure he was right, but before I was able to check, the good ol' Jeopardy host himself came on the television and said that they had made a mistake and the correct response was in fact "Pentecost". 

I am not writing all of this to brag about my knowledge, nor Jeopardy's incompetence. I am writing this as a reminder for us to stick to our guts. Despite what advertisers want us to think, television isn't always right, especially when it comes to things we might know quite well. I could have very easily felt disappointed and turned off the television and never though anything more of it, but instead I double checked the fact. It's VERY important to think critically about what we hear, and read. This doesn't just go for facts on television, this goes for pieces of information in our everyday life. So if you're at church and you hear scripture being referenced or read, crack open that bible that's beide you. If you're watching the news or reading the paper, why don't you check out a few other news sources? And if you're at work or school and hear a piece of gossip, why don't you go to whom it is about and see for yourself. 

We are the ones who get to decide what we believe, 

and with that privilege comes the responsibility to be skeptical, sensible, and smart. 

Don't put your intelligence in Jeopardy, don't believe everything you hear.