Unfiltered
Those who guide this people mislead
them, and those who are guided are led astray.
Isaiah 9:16
“I don’t get that commercial, Mom,”
Katie said, speaking of the contraceptive ad that had just run on TV.
Set in a shopping atmosphere, the commercial starred several young
women contemplating the purchase of items such as a trip to Paris, a
miniature Eiffel Tower as the lure, a new home, also in miniature,
and different exciting careers. There were many other choices, all
geared to discourage the young women from having children at this
time in their lives. One girl was approached by a stork carrying a
bundle, assumed to be a newborn. The young girl shook her head in the
negative while holding up her hand in a ‘Stop, don’t come near
me’ gesture.
“Well, Honey,” Katie’s mom began,
“The drug company that sells the birth control product they just
advertised is hinting to young women that if they have children they
won’t be able to do or have the things shown in the commercial.”
“But that’s not true!”
fourteen-year-old Katie argued. “You can do all those things if you
have kids!”
“No, it’s not true; and yes, you
can,” her mother agreed. “Sometimes people want to make money so
badly that they misrepresent their product in order to sell it. In
this case they are telling young girls they must forgo motherhood if
they are ever going to have vacations or careers. Katie,” Mom said,
“One of the greatest privileges of being a woman is becoming a
mother. Take it from me,” she smiled, “I can’t imagine life
without you and your brothers.”
†
Today, just as in Old Testament times,
there are those who will mislead people for profit and/or to further
their philosophy. If the commercial in today’s scenario had been
left unfiltered, Katie might have bought into their ideology.
Big Business doesn’t care what our
kids think; they just want to generate sales. As parents, it’s our
responsibility to be a filter for what the world wants our children
to believe.
The decision of having or not having
children should be made for the right reasons, not glamorized notions
in a sales pitch.
Prayer
“Make me sensitive to
the things my children see and hear, Lord. Give me the wisdom to be
their filter in this world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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