Selling marriage

Statistics show that marriage is at an all-time low in the UK, so SHE magazine challenged four top ad agencies to “sell” marriage. Here’s the pitch each agency came up with:

Agency: BBH
“The concept came from the idea that it’s the small things that make a marriage. The ad shows a couple looking back on a marriage – at 20, 30, 40 years – and all the little moments that they always remember.”

Agency: KK Outlet
“To illustrate the benefits of marriage, they created ads spelling out the words ‘Better sex’ and ‘Live longer’ in lingerie and funeral wreaths respectively.”

Agency: Publicis Dialog and Publicis Blueprint
“Our idea was to turn that tired cliché [that marriage is an act of conformity and conventionality] on its head and present marriage as the ultimate act of rebellion. When you get married, there’s a real sense of two people against the world. It’s the moment you create a nation of two, completely self-sufficient and not reliant on anyone else. So we wanted to make married couples and those intending to marry ‘the defiant ones’. The thing about being married, which is different from just living together, is that you stand up in front of friends and family and say, ‘I want to do this... We’re doing this because we’re that proud of our commitment and we’re telling the world about it’.”

Agency: Ogilvy
“There’s really no reason to get married. There’s nothing you can do when you’re married that you can’t do when you’re not married. There’s no good reason... There’s no good time; it’s just to do with love and sentiment.”

Hmm... if marriage is a picture of a Christian's relationship with God, I'm not sure any of these hit the mark...

Ignoring the warning

I was underground, at Earls Court tube station, when the alarms went off. Then there was a recorded message: loud, forceful, attention-grabbing: "Due to an incident, all passengers must vacate the station immediately". For a moment there was silence. Then one elderly lady stood up from her seat and began to make her away along the platform to the exit. No one else moved - including me.

A few seconds later: "That was a test of our fire-alarm system. We apologise for any inconvenience". This time the announcement was much quieter - so much so that the old lady didn't hear it. Another passenger stopped her, and explained that she didn't need to leave after all - after which we all watched her make her way slowly back to her seat.

Why didn't I move? My first thought was: "Oh no, now I'll miss my flight", followed swiftly by: "I'll wait a moment to see if it's real or not". I didn't believe the warning - and my guess is that's why no one else moved either. Our default position was disbelief.

I wondered if that's true for people when they hear the warning message of the gospel. No matter how loud or clear it is - how forcefully proclaimed - their default position is disbelief. Maybe I need to pray that people will be like that elderly lady: that they will hear the warning, and respond to it.

Why pray to a motorbike?

A Royal Enfield 350 Bullet has become an unlikely shrine. The motorbike’s rider fatally crashed into a tree. Now both bike and tree form a thriving shrine in the Indian village of Chotila. Visitors pray to the bike, pour libations of alcohol, and tie red thread round the tree – all in the belief that doing so will ensure them a safe journey.

My first thought? It makes no sense to choose a bike someone died on as a talisman against unsafe travel.

But then I thought about the cross:

“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.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 18)

Both the bike and the cross were instruments of death. But we can look at the cross with certainty and hope – Jesus has beaten death, and is the source of life for all who trust in Him. I won’t be praying to any motorbikes. But I will be thanking God for the cross.

To Kindle or not to Kindle

Having met my first Kindle this week - and hearing that Amazon now sell more e-books than "real" books - I thought I'd find out more. Discovered two things:

1. If you search the Kindle store for bestsellers it doesn't take long to come across plenty of erotica. I guess an e-reader is an easy way to order porn in secret, and not have anyone else knowing what you're reading (no cover to hide). Maybe that's one reason the e-sales are so high?

2. In reaction to the above I looked to see if the Bible is available. It is, in various versions, including the ESV study Bible for less than £9. My favourite though is...

Holy Bible (Kindle edition) by at el. God (author)

I'm so glad Amazon know who the Author is!

Hearing the King speak

In the aftermath to the widely-acclaimed film The King’s Speech, an interesting side story has appeared. A 94-year-old retired policeman who served at the Sandringham Estate during the Second World War has a story to tell. While patrolling around the royal residence, he heard the king, George VI, through a window. The king was repeating the same words again and again, practicing his Christmas speech for the following morning.

It’s exciting to hear from an eye-witness (or maybe that should be an ear-witness?) to an important event. The UK press have picked up the story, as it gives personal interest to the events many have seen unfolding on the big screen. You can read it here.

It got me reflecting on other royal eye-witnesses – but this time to the King of Kings:

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” (Acts 10:39-41)

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”  (Luke 1:1-4)

Peter was an eye-witness to Jesus’ words and actions. Luke investigated carefully to be sure that everything he wrote was accurate. And we have the confidence that the eye-witness records are accurate, because the Holy Spirit made sure they were:

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26).

Wonderful!