I got an email this morning with a funny slash particularly odd video. It featured a very white man with a fake Jamaican accent going around the office cheering people up. Then at the end they got into a Volkswagon to drive around. The audience, then suddenly has a revelation of the source of all happiness and Jamaican accents. It all comes from the VW company, who knew?
The video is on YouTube. It's a potential Superbowl Ad for Volkswagon. Here's the video:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=9H0xPWAtaa8
What interested me more though, was the conversation behind the ad. Many people are I guess offended by the video? I don't understand why. Apparently, the Jamaican accent is offensive because the guy is white and not black? The only logical conclusion we can draw from this commercial is that the ad is trying to convey that all Jamaican (one news lady said black) people are happy. *Note my sarcasm*
I've recently noticed an increased catering to the offended heart in our nation, particularly among my generation. The increased push to be politically correct could be an example of this. In studying the common inter-workings of the local church, I have seen that there is a general fear of offended congregants. It is not uncommon to see pastors change what is spoken in order to not offend people. These are just examples from my personal observation.
My point of this post is not stand in judgment over our world or the church; that is the Lord's job. My point is to give input into a valuable conversation for our generation and the issues we face sociologically today. That being said…
While this is a thought still infant in the developing room in my noggin, I do have some initial opinions on the subject. I think that the encouragement to cater to offended people is actually belittling. Is it not our job to love and care for the well-being or our fellow man? Or as the famous Cain would say, "Are we our brother's keeper?"
I think so! Validating an offended heart is not love at all. Jesus did not give a hoot about the quarrels of the Pharisees. If He did He wouldn't have been flung up on the cross. But in the act of Jesus not being moved by the Pharisee's offendedness, He was loving them. He had an expectation for them, and when they failed to meet that He did not lower the bar. In fact, I think Jesus purposely caused the Pharisees to be offended, but I will save that for another post.
In the same way, when we fear offending people and change what we say and do because of offended grumpy butts, we aren't calling them higher. Essentially we are telling them, I don't expect you to act in humility but rather in anger and pride. When we cater to the offense of people they are validated and enabled to remain where they are at, marinating in the rotten, bitter stew of their offended heart.
That was my sort of rant for the day, but I would like to know what you think. I welcome disagreements or agreements or different perspectives. Please comment to tell me and others what you think.
We think you are making a very important observation and bringing up an issue that needs to be discussed openly without anyone’s expressed opinion being stifled by intimidation and accusation of what difference of opinion, belief, values or morals are now being considered “hate-speech”. There is an alarming amount of interest in the legal and political arena surrounding this so-called “hate-speech” that is beginning to threaten all of our freedom of speech in America. Hate-speech seems to encompass anything one finds to be offensive which very often happens to be the truth or just what used to be considered humor.
We also very strongly agree that enabling those that choose to take offense is encouraging an over-developed sense of entitlement as a form of compensation, or special treatment. Unwelcome views, or views one finds offensive – if expressed in love and truth – is necessary to maintain the right to express ones opinion.
Some, even among their own family members, avoid speaking of biblical truths for fear of offendeding someone, thus damaging relationships. We think it’s important to avoid damaging relationships in every situation possible by speaking the truth in love but that is not always so easy for some of us, specifically your mother. My intentions are good but don’t always come out the way I would like.
However, I do remember a wise young man pointing out to me that Jesus did not say ” Blessed is he who does not offend.”. He did however say, “Blessed is he who is not offended by me.”. I take that to include the commands and truths He spoke to us in His word.
Mom and Michael (Michael only takes partial responsibility for this post, just the parts that aren’t offensive 😉