As Christians it is easy to become desensitized to the bad and the not so good aspects of the world around us. We learn to look away from advertisements, images, words and media content that are clearly spiritually lacking, to say the least. But this can make us unnecessarily passive and accepting of things we might possibly be able to change. Now I’m the first to admit that we need balance in this – there is a balance between being constantly judgmental on the one hand, yet trying to make the world a better place where we can on the other.
An experience recently set me thinking about this. A website I utilize regularly redid its home page recently and the image on the new front page was in poor taste, to say the least – and bordering on the obscene from my own perspective. I need to use this site, and so I wrinkled my nose and tried to look past the image several times as I logged in. Then I decided I wasn’t going to do that any more, and I went looking for the “contact” link.
I sent an email to the site explaining that I was a regular customer, but that I was pretty much grossed-out by the image that greeted me every time I logged in. I made the point that just because most people don’t complain didn’t mean that there were not many others who were also offended by the new image. Finally, I stressed that I knew they were a professional company and that the image really did not fit the high standards they doubtless wanted to convey – so (especially if they wanted to keep my business) would they please find a better image for their welcome screen. Although I didn’t really expect them to change, and thought I would probably have to just go find another website, I got a message back from the site’s webmaster saying my complaint would be passed to management. To my surprise, when I returned to the site the next day the offensive image was gone and it has not returned.
This small experience reminded me that the more we speak out, the more we can make a difference in the world in which we and our kids live. Sometimes it may be in the smallest way, but it is still making a difference. I know culture is deteriorating all around us in all kinds of ways, and we can’t spend our lives focusing on the details of that slide; but there are also millions of Christians in the world and if we take a few moments to speak up, we may find many situations where speaking out will accomplish something.
So next time you are offended at something in advertising, television or wherever, if there is a way to contact the people behind the public offensiveness and you have opportunity, don’t hesitate to speak up – you just might be heard!
An experience recently set me thinking about this. A website I utilize regularly redid its home page recently and the image on the new front page was in poor taste, to say the least – and bordering on the obscene from my own perspective. I need to use this site, and so I wrinkled my nose and tried to look past the image several times as I logged in. Then I decided I wasn’t going to do that any more, and I went looking for the “contact” link.
I sent an email to the site explaining that I was a regular customer, but that I was pretty much grossed-out by the image that greeted me every time I logged in. I made the point that just because most people don’t complain didn’t mean that there were not many others who were also offended by the new image. Finally, I stressed that I knew they were a professional company and that the image really did not fit the high standards they doubtless wanted to convey – so (especially if they wanted to keep my business) would they please find a better image for their welcome screen. Although I didn’t really expect them to change, and thought I would probably have to just go find another website, I got a message back from the site’s webmaster saying my complaint would be passed to management. To my surprise, when I returned to the site the next day the offensive image was gone and it has not returned.
This small experience reminded me that the more we speak out, the more we can make a difference in the world in which we and our kids live. Sometimes it may be in the smallest way, but it is still making a difference. I know culture is deteriorating all around us in all kinds of ways, and we can’t spend our lives focusing on the details of that slide; but there are also millions of Christians in the world and if we take a few moments to speak up, we may find many situations where speaking out will accomplish something.
So next time you are offended at something in advertising, television or wherever, if there is a way to contact the people behind the public offensiveness and you have opportunity, don’t hesitate to speak up – you just might be heard!
