21 May I learned a new word…
Welcome to a beautiful Tuesday y’all!
These frosty mornings really get the heart pumping first thing!
Before I get into the usual list of events…a story or two…
When I was in High School, I had a friend who set herself the task of learning a new word every day during our Summer holidays. She’d wake up & grab her dictionary & starting with “A” she’d read through the words until she found one she didn’t know. She’d write it down, memorize the meaning & spelling, and then somewhere during the day, use it properly in a sentence. She was always a pretty clever young lady & I suppose the discipline of that Summer was just a reflection of an active mind engaged in trying to learn & grow in useful ways.
Well…I learned a new word yesterday & I really wish I hadn’t. Oh…it isn’t one of “those” words your mother use to give you a smack for using. It’s a word that only could be made up in the 21st century: “kid-fluencer.” If you caught Four Corners on ABC last night you’d have learned this one too…and probably be as sick to heart as I am.
What’s a kid-fluencer? Well…literally it’s a “kid,” a child, whose parent (typically the mother) is “marketing” on-line via social media as an influencer/spokesperson for various child-oriented products…clothes, toys, make-up, sports gear…etc… Just knowing a parent would intentionally immerse their young child (one mom started her “son’s channel” when he was an infant the other girl was 9-10 years old) in the internet world made me profoundly sad…
But what made me literally nauseous, & I’m not exaggerating, was that we all know what sort of folks hang out in the deep recesses of the internet waiting for pictures of little kids. Images can be stolen & used for all sorts of malicious disgusting purposes. The mom who put her infant on-line in the hippest designer babywear discovered his images had been pirated & used in a scam “overseas adoption” site. The little fella’s making about $20,000/year as a 4-year-old now, looking really cute in the best toddler gear his mom can get from companies that want “his” brand on their gear, but who knows where his images are being used & what will happen in his life when he reaches that awkward gawky stage when he’s not a cute little boy any more? Or when he starts losing teeth or he needs braces & acne cream? How will his self-worth, identity, or sense of himself withstand the onslaught of classmates that simply won’t buy into his “brand” & he has to wear it on the playground?
The 9-10 year old gymnast/acrobat cute-as-a-button pixie of a girl has 14,000 “followers” on a social media platform…but her mother spends a couple of hours a day clearing out the garbage contacts from her “feed.” Blocking & reporting the really troublesome ones. She seems a sweet little girls & she revels in the attention & the “free” clothes manufacturers send her to model. Her identity is clearly one she & her mother have “cultivated” & “curated” for public consumption. Bless her little heart she just seemed to always be play-acting for the camera. I fear for her too when she grows into the woman she will be & heaven forbid she (like Jelena Dokic) gains some kilos that won’t go away…what then? We all know the internet is more savage than soothing in matters of attractiveness. If she faces the fate of countless “child stars” of TV & Hollywood who are simply cast aside when they’re too old, too tall, too…whatever…what then?
Some parents actually play into the worst of the internet & seem to be “selling” access to their child’s childhood like you’d sell tickets to a theme park…the more you pay the more you can access. Yuck!
So when the Bible warns “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Or “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (Romans 12:2 & 1 John 2:15-17) there’s good reason. It’s also more reason to pray for the families you know & especially the young men & women you know that God would guard their hearts & minds from the rubbish that is a flick of their thumb away on their phones. And speak into the young lives where you have access. Affirm their God-given talents & gifts apart from the shallow fleeting vanity our world prizes.
Now…for some more uplifting things…
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up (Galatians 5:16-26 – the wrap-up of our study in Galatians)
Friday 24th May 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83006349720 — Meeting ID: 830 0634 9720
- Worship this week begins a new 6-week series on Living Courageously focussing on some of the faithful individuals we meet in the pages of the Bible. Some are familiar to us & some are not. This is a good time to build your habit of bringing your Bible to worship & following along. To get you in the mood…here’s brief synopsis of the series:
“Don’t make waves.” “Keep your opinions to yourself.” In today’s ‘cancel culture,’ jobs, friendships & family harmony can be lost by challenging the prevailing worldviews. So we don’t…challenge, point to alternatives, or give the reason for the hope we have within us…hope that is for the life of the world. What we find in the Bible, though, are people who live exactly the opposite. They live courageously & go against the flow around them trusting the God who holds all things in his hands & promises a life more abundant with far more influence & impact than silence & hiding can offer. Join us to learn & live courageously by faith in the promise & power of God who always acts through unexpected people in exciting ways to bring life & hope to all.
- Bonfire @ High Valley…details are being put in place but save the date!
Saturday – June 1st
- Biggest Morning Tea & Giving Beyond Ourselves for the Cancer Council
Sunday – June 2nd
God has great plans for our lives here in our city as his church. Join us to discover & follow his leading in your life and our life together.
See you along the journey!
John
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