If you choose to spend your Sundays watching football, that's up to you I suppose. I used to basically spend afternoons glued to games. I don't think that way any more. It's not because I'm holier than thou...I'm not. I've got many other issues. I have just come to think the Lord's Day has better benefits when spent in other ways.
Nevertheless, here we are on Superbowl Sunday (dang, I hate that designation). It seems like everyone is aware of the game with plans to watch it somewhere. My boys aren't too familiar with the NFL, but have enough friends telling them who's playing and what a huge game it is. My son says to me today at lunch, "Dad, can we watch the Superbowl tonight"? I responded that we're going to church and will probably be home in time to catch a good part of the second half. He said, "Cool, the Steelers are my favorite team since, like, last week." I had a good chuckle.
So, after church tonight we made it home for most of the second half. It was a slow moving game with long commercial breaks as you all know. I had all three of my sons on the couch being American, watching the Superbowl. We are all soccer players and fans so American football is hard to watch with all it's stops and starts and long commercial delays. Still, we appreciate a good hit, nice run, or leaping catch. We all think we could kick better than the punters and kickers, but otherwise appreciate the diverse athleticism of the players.
So there we are watching the game and the commercials come on. First a Pepsi commercial comes on with a guy having dinner with his girlfriend. The commercial depicts her silently wondering if he's the one for her. She is asking herself if he'd be a good husband, a good dad, how much money he makes? Then the commercial depicts him silently repeating- I wonder if she'll sleep with me, I wonder if she'll sleep with me, etc. My boys immediately ask- "What does that mean? Why does he keep saying that?" Thanks Pepsi. You stink. Shortly after there's a commercial with Kim Kardashian half naked more or less getting it on with a half naked dude. I quick move to flip the channel. GoDaddy's commercial was another winner that basically teased you with shots Danica Patrick and the Jillian chick from Biggest Loser partially naked telling you to go to the website to see "more". Nice. Thanks. Most of the commercials (minus the low-rent and out of place Menards one) had some kind of sexuality laced in or explicitly featured.
So many thoughts went through my head as I looked at my young boys. I'm so worried for them. How can they escape the lures of lust? How can they walk in purity? How can they escape slavery to the wrong kind of sensuality living in this day an age? Sure, someone will say to not watch TV, don't go to movies, etc. etc. Listen, we don't watch TV except on some rare, specific occasions like this. Go watch a movie you think is "safe" and the previews will have sex in them. Walk through the check out line at Price Chopper and you'll get your latest gander at Lady Gaga or Lindsey Lohan. A quick glimpse of the news will tell you all you need to know about Charlie Sheen's sexcapades with a group of porn stars. Go online, even with a computer equipped with all sorts of safety features, and a pop up image will flash. This is such a tough time to raise boys. I know, it's tough to raise girls too, but the guys reading this know exactly what I mean. I hear it only takes a hit or two of meth to get addicted. I think the same may be true for porn and sexual sin.
Paul said to Timothy, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Tim 2:22). I have always been struck by the use of the word "flee". He doesn't say "resist", he says RUN. You think Paul knows something important about the nature of youthful lust (passions)?
Fleeing youthful lusts is so difficult, especially when they run after you. They run very fast.
The Superbowl was a disappointment to me, but not for the reason I began this post. It disappointed me as I realized how far gone things are and I am terrified for my boys as they approach a minefield they yet do not understand.
6 comments:
Yeah, pastor, the SB ads this year were really worthless and raunchy. There might have been one feel-good ad in the whole bunch. But, I've forgotten the specifics of it already, amidst the rest of junk from the flowing sewer pipe of commercial sludge. Man's mind is dark and his heart is hard (Eph 4). For the most part, all the ads were really terrible. This, generation, too, really is nothing more than, "crooked and perverse." I feel for your kids trying to navigate life with such absolute evil ready to pounce on any one of them, or all of them, at any time, from any and all sides. It's good they're in a solid Christian school. That influence on them cannot be overstated. I don't know if you've ever said anything - I don't remember. But, I hope all your boys have come to faith in Christ already. And, you already know without that, all the schooling in the world won't change a person's eternal destiny. I'm up too late after the game. Good night.
Only by the grace of God. All this occured under your watchful eye. Soon they'll be at their christian school friends houses watching movies or TV or surfing the internet unsupervised. Or, they'll have their smartphones with unimpeded access to most all the WWW has to offer. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't get any brighter. On the bright side, at least you didn't have to explain to them why the guy in the Pepsi commercial was eating dinner with another guy and having those same thoughts. Maybe next year.
yet, isn't it ironic that the "John 3:16" ad was pulled by fox for being potentially offensive...
Like Jeff said, all the worthless trash commercials and FOX rejected the only wholesome message. "A lot of noise on the football field, and the camera zooms down, close to the center hunkered over the football. Before the ball is snapped the center looks up at the opposing lineman fixing to put the smack on him.
The center smiles, then winks and on his eyelids is written John 3:16
FOX rejected that one but allowed the rest of the trash to be vomited up for all the children to see, then ask their parents what all this means? Go figure?
Or better ask, why should we be surprised?
I'm not sure how this all works out. But, up to 25 percent of FOX News, or FOX overall - something like that - is now owned by Muslims.
I look at how women are sexualized in commercials and I pray for my boys and for my girls. How hard it will be for my boys to save their thoughts only for their wives, to protect their purity. But even moreso, how difficult for the girls to find a man they will be able to trust has been faithful to her before marriage. This of course is if they aren't abused by someone ahead of time...ugh.
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