Missing the mark

I watched a movie with my grandkids.  The main message of the movie, as best I could tell, was that we were looking to zing with another person... and that it only happened once... and life would be ruined if we passed our chance up.  It's frustrating what we are teaching our children through movies.  The most destructive is that Cinderella message.  Find the right guy and you will live happily ever after... See, the problem is... that's true.  If you find the right guy you will live happily ever after.  How close is the promise of happy-ever-after to abundant life (John 10:10)?  I just don't think the guy your looking for is human!  Well, completely human. :)

It's a twisted message because deep inside all of us is a yearning to be loved.  We must be loved to survive; that's true.  But, where we send our children to find love is way twisted.  We them to expect to get their deepest needs met by another human being who is just as needy as we are.  That's sad. 

Think of the songs movies teach our children... and believe me they sing them over and over again.  Songs like Cinderella's "So this is Love" Which says, "so this is love, so this is what makes life divine" It is true that love is what makes life Divine that is "God filled".  But what is labeled love is a first brush meeting with a guy she knew for about 4 hours. (8 to no later than midnight right?)  In the movie clip they never move their mouths... so how much did they say in that 4 hours?  And what have we taught our children about love?  It is a feeling of infatuation at best and has nothing to do with how your treat or are treated by another. 

There are so many messages sent to our children that are close but...sad. Think of what we teach about santa clause.  He will come to visit you and give gifts, if and only if you will believe in Him.  How similar is that to John 6:47? " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me  has everlasting life." 

I think these are all opportunities to explain what is true compared to what is false.  But I wonder, does it sell because we are touching the deepest yearnings of all people?  And how dangerous is it to miss the mark?