A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
By Karyn Brownlee | BrighterWalk.com
Posted 6:08 am on May 15, 2009
Blogs |
What's up with pictures this week? Incriminating pictures released to the wrong people don't do anybody any good--not Miss California and not America.
We warn our teens not to take pictures of questionable behavior and put them on the Internet for fear of ramifications. Yet as a country, some would have us release inflammatory pictures of our U.S. troops calling their behaviors into question by the world. Their reason? Transparency and trustworthiness.
Supporters of releasing the photos say it shows our new president to be true to his word, as he promised transparency of all information. Apparently, these factions believe the president's word is more important than our soldier's lives.
Taking a position on this controversy seems easy to most. According to Thursday night's "O'Reilly Factor", 77% of Americans believe the photos would cause a backlash against U.S. troops.
But my broader concern is about what's going on long before someone grabs a camera. Who or what is guiding our choices about our daily behavior before pictures are snapped? I don't just want to teach teens not to post lewd pictures. I don't just want to teach teens not to take pictures of lewd behavior either. I want to teach them not to engage in it in the first place!
As I wrote earlier this week, traps are messy and they usually begin with choosing to do something that doesn't seem so bad at the time. But if something doesn't seem so bad, we are looking at it as compared to other bad things! What should that tell us? Assuredly, anytime we take that "not so bad step", we will soon find ourselves in cover-ups, contradictions, confusion and controversy.
Granted, there is a difference in No. 9 on God's "top 10 list" and telling everything you know. Some things we just don't want to advertise, like your next football play to the opposing team's defensive line. It doesn't make the football play immoral or unbiblical. But more often than not, the things we want to keep hidden in the dark are things created in the dark to begin with.
Whether waterboarding is more like lewd behavior or a great football play, I honestly haven't decided. Fortunately I'm not in a position to have to decide tomorrow. But it is a matter of which I am seeking God's perspective.
I have spent time in dark places in the past, and try my best to stay away from them now, remembering the words of Jesus: "He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (John 8:12). When we have the Light of life, why in the world would we want to hang out in dark places?
Tags: O'Reilly Factor, torture, waterboarding, Miss California
Karyn Brownlee, M.Ed. is a master communicator and former school principal who inspires Christians to walk as believing, influential disciples amidst our unbelieving, captivating culture. Once deceived by America’s ‘culturalized Christianity,’ Karyn now eagerly embraces a biblical worldview, enjoys a brighter walk with God, and educates and encourages others to the same. Her passion to proclaim truth and brighten lives is realized in her writing, speaking, teaching and mentoring. Connect with Karyn at http://www.Twitter.com/KarynBrownlee and through her website, http://www.BrighterWalk.com.
Related Articles and Blogs
More Posts by This Author
- Did Lance Armstrong Get it Wrong?
- Americans Increasingly Unsure of President’s Faith
- NFL Player Glen Coffee Leaves Football on Faith
- Obama Supports Mosque 100%, But 88% of Americans Don’t Support Him
- U.S. Taxpayers Fund Ground Zero Mosque Imam’s Islamic Mission Trip
- Islamic Center to “Promote Peace” – How Will Christians Respond?
- Did Bachelorette Ali Find ‘Perfect’ Love?
Latest Comments (1)
Peter Elliott - May 15, 2009