For Generations to Come

[NOTE: This week’s guest post is from Suzy Dodd. To learn more about Suzy, check out her bio after today’s article.]

We have all heard the phrase “for generations to come” as it relates to the length something lasts. Think of things like a car, grandmother’s roasting pan, a recipe, or a story passed down from one generation to the next. However, do we really think of the actual meaning of the words “for generations to come?”  

This we know: there will, in all likelihood, be generations coming after us. Depending on one’s age we may think about having children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and possibly great-great-grandchildren. We daydream and ponder about what they will be like. That said, others ponder and daydream, too. That’s where the fear should hit us like a brick.

It doesn’t take a historian to know the changes that have taken place in American society over the past 50 years or so.

A while ago, I came into the den where a TV had been left on from the night before. It was on Nickelodeon, which was still airing programming on “Nick at Nite.” Here’s the catch: it wasn’t night. It was a weekend morning, meaning that the viewer demographics had changed from the late night teens to elementary (and younger) children.  

Enter the commercials, not appropriate for anyone, especially young children. For example, Wells Fargo Bank has a slogan of “See How Far We’ll Go.”  To say the least, they have gone too far. What begins as a harmless and even uplifting commercial of a lady learning sign language and then another lady learning sign language, turns into my fear “for generations to come.”

As the commercial continues, a little girl is shown playing in a room. A lady enters the room and kneels down. In sign language she says, “hello beautiful,” and the girl smiles. The scene cuts back to the lady who is now joined by her female friend. The lady, again in sign language, states, “we’re going to be your new mommies.” The little girl immediately hugs the lady.  

A person’s choice of acceptability is exactly that: their choice. That said, forced acceptability is not acceptable. Like any other program that is offensive, just turn it off. This is not the point at all. I hardly watch television since having gone several weeks without it. Gladly, I broke a very bad habit. So, this is not an article about turning on or off the TV.

Instead, my point is this: the more that younger children are targeted for this forced acceptability, the more the generations to come will not give this a second thought.  Kids will be asking each other what kind of parents they have, a mom and dad, mom and mom, or dad and dad (or who knows what other combination?).     

Parents, the work begins with us. Right now we may feel secure in our children being strong in the faith and feel certain their children (our grandchildren) will be strong also. Going back to the commercial, we may try to rationalize the good versus evil. The child being adopted was older than a toddler but not a teen. So our hearts are glad she is being adopted, especially since she appears to be hearing challenged. However, we need to realize something: For the little girl to go into a home with two “mommies” is the beginning of a life that will be far more difficult than being hearing challenged.    

We must ask ourselves a question: what are we doing to combat the mass of what many refer to as “acceptable” evil placed in front of us?

We must no longer say that there is nothing we can do about it. If we do take this attitude, then it may very well be “our” next generation who lives the life of sin with the thought that there is no threat to their eternal life.   

Christians need to put away self and take a huge leap into fighting against the current battle of the acceptability of sin.  The problem is now, the problem is real, and the problem will take all of us to fight this battle.  

How do we start? Can so few of us make a difference? We start by checking to see who and what we are supporting. Yes, a few can make a difference by taking a stand with our dollars, with our children, and with our lives. In fact, for “generations to come,” we must take a stand. Will you?

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Suzy Dodd is a member of the 9th Avenue Church of Christ in Haleyville. She works in the banking industry. Suzy is married and has three young adult sons.

Photo background credit: “Boy” by leeroy on Life of Pix