Trivialization

The commemoration of Holy Week and the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus, give us the change to reflect - seriously - on the meaning of the message of salvation.  Hebrews 12
says:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have to make sure that we are not trivializing the weighty message of the cross, even though the world would want to do that.  There are many who do not understand about the importance of what Jesus did for us.  So...we have to be convinced in our own hearts about why Jesus had to die - we were sinners in need of a Savior, and Jesus has come to redeem us and rescue us from the power of sin and death.  Eternity is in the balance, and it is important that we take the message of God's love for us seriously.

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In 1st Corinthians 1, Paul addresses the wisdom of this world vs. the wisdom of the cross.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
You've probably heard it by now - the protests about the way that protestors are depicted in a recently-pulled ad for Pepsi featuring Kendall Jenner.  Meleana Moore has a summary at Townhall.com:

The ad displays a major street protest, specifically displaying specific minority groups. Jenner is shown posing for a modeling shoot, and when she sees the protests, she joins, grabs a can of Pepsi, and walks over to hand one to a police officer. When the officer drinks the Pepsi, the mass of protesters starts cheering and the protest ends.

The protests started almost immediately, and Pepsi was forced to pull the ad.  In a statement, the beverage company stated, "Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue," adding, "We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."

A piece on the Adweek website quoted from some advertising experts. It quoted Allen Adamson, long-time brand consultant and founder of Brand Simple Consulting: “It’s trivializing the seriousness of the issue, that merely a can of Pepsi could solve all of the problems on the streets of our country..."

Others were vocal in their criticism:

“Ridiculous ad,” said Edward Boches, professor of advertising at Boston University and a former partner, CCO at Mullen Lowe. “Shows no awareness of the protesters’ mindset or environment. Feels completely dishonest and contrived. Was clearly done by people who have not attended a protest or spent time on the streets and have no understanding of the pent-up anger.”

For some, the work was also reflective of larger issues in the advertising business. “This is what happens when you don’t have enough people in leadership that reflect the cultures that you represent,” wrote Eric Thomas, senior partner and brand specialist at Saga MKTG, in a LinkedIn post titled, “How to Make Millennials Hate You, The Pepsi Way.”

The article also refers to an iconic commercial from Pepsi's main competitor:

Given Pepsi’s message of unity many have pointed to Coca-Cola’s famous “Hilltop” ad. But what did Coke get right in 1971 that Pepsi didn’t in 2017?

“The ‘Hilltop’ spot wasn’t attempting to dramatize a real event,” explained Boches. “It was clearly contrived and invented as a moment. The Pepsi spot is attempting to recreate a protest march and in a very unrealistic way. Two, the promise of the Coke spot was a simple sentiment and a wish. ‘We would like to teach … as in ‘like to.’ It was a wish.”

The daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. even spoke out.  According to the People Magazine website, she "posted a tweet on Wednesday with a powerful photo of her father protesting: 'If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi,' she wrote on the photo from the March Against Fear demonstration in 1966.

So, the ad has been described as "tone-deaf," according to AdWeek.  And, I think the debacle offers some good principles for us to follow, especially as we have entered Holy Week.

First of all, even though you may disagree with the content or approach of those who are protestors, and I have not been silent about my concerns, still, people have a First Amendment right to express themselves, as long as they don't resort to acts of violence.  For the Christian community, we have to be careful that we don't just summarily dismiss the position of those who are legitimately protesting without having an understanding of the emotions behind their expressions.  Where there is anger, we can bring understanding; we have the opportunity to be peacemakers, and - yes - it goes beyond just handing out a can of Pepsi and everything will be OK.

And, that really gets to the heart of what I want to say regarding the message that Christians commemorate during this week.  I certainly do not want the world to miss the message or make light of it.  For each of us, we have to also make sure that we are not trivializing the powerful message of the cross and the resurrection.  This is a serious message with a life-or-death implications for people - the enemy would like nothing better than for us to "celebrate" Easter without really, truly reflecting on the risen Lord and what that means.  And, I'm certainly not against the celebrations that occur this time of year.  But, we can be challenged to communicate the seriousness of the death and resurrection of Christ.   We have the right message; now we can go in the power of the Holy Spirit to relay it in the right way.

So, this year, don't trivialize the message of the cross and look for ways to bring that message to those who don't understand.  The right message, presented in the right tone, can be used of the Holy Spirit to change hearts.