Report Card: From a D to an F

            I can see it now. You’re just going to roll your eyes. “Oh, yeah right, you’re one of those crazy nuts no-fun types.” What could possibly lead you to react this way?

            I’m going to talk about desensitization.

            Now, I’m not going to be like those people that tell you if you watch that dad-gum movie you are going to turn into a demon from Hell. Or a fallen angel. No, I’m not going to tell you that you should bury your head in the ground and not take in any media or non-Christian stuff.

            And no, I’m not going to talk about all the sexual or violent stuff that wears away at you. I’m going to talk about cursing.

            Why would I do that? Because I’ve experienced first hand how being around cursing 24/7 leads to changes in how you talk. At my work, my coworkers curse up a storm and a couple could match sailors with their vocabulary. I've worked there for 6 months.

            But before I continue, I have to answer a question I hear a lot. What’s wrong with cursing in the first place? Quite frankly, curse words are rude, lewd, and crude. As a Christian, there are better words for me to use in ANY situation I MIGHT be tempted to use curse words in. 

            But anyways, back to desensitization. I was in a CHURCH PARKING LOT recently, and I looked into my car trunk for something. It wasn’t there. The first thing that came pretty loudly out of my mouth was, “d—- it.”

            I was shocked. Thank goodness no one was around me. Where did THAT come from? I’m considered by some to be a choir boy goody-two-shoes.

            Later I did something really retarded (I mean, I do a lot of stupid things, but this really took the cake). Afterwards, I walked outside and yelled under my breath*, “You effin’ idiot!” Because I was really disappointed in myself, I said it twice.

           And no, I did not say “effin’”.

           I didn’t get it. Why was I saying these words that were previously unused by me? They sprung so easily from my mouth. This is from someone who is supposed to be a light to the world.

            I thought about how I’d changed. It was because I’m around coworkers who curse constantly. They curse in every situation and before I knew it, I became like them. If only for a split second. Now, I’m not blaming them. I am supposed to control my mouth no matter what and I failed to do so.

            But over time my defenses have been eroded. Those episodes showed me how bad it had gotten. Fortunately, no one heard me say those things, so people could still think I was a good Christian.

            It goes to show that anyone is susceptible to being worn away. People fill their minds with senseless violence. Then when they see an old lady get beaten up on a bus they do NOTHING. Why? They’ve seen it all before. It doesn’t matter.

            Pornography floods the world and the internet. Then we see teens engaging in destructive behavior and ask, “Why would they possible do these things?” They see it all the time in movies and television. They hear it all in what our culture calls “music”. It doesn't matter anymore.

            I wanted this post to be about desensitization. But I didn’t want to get into all the sex and violence our culture promotes because things would instantly get heavy. I chose cursing because there might be a tad bit of humor to keep things light.

            But this is for you. Just examine your life as I’ve had to do mine. Are you watching shows or movies that push unacceptable behavior blatantly? Are you listening to music that doesn’t encourage you to behave as you should? Think through these things.
             The danger of desensitization is that when you encounter evil, you witness it and leave completely unaffected. That is the symptom.

             So what have I done with my own life? I need money, therefore I need this job. Plus, I’ll have cursing coworkers everywhere so switching to another job wouldn’t change anything.

             What I’ve done is simply not engage in worthless, idle conversations that aren’t leading anywhere other than an earful of… colorful metaphors. Plus I’ve prayed that God would help me guard my mouth so I don’t shame Him when I speak.

             I’m not going to give you the “slippery slope” sermon you’ve heard so often. “If you do this activity today, you are going to be worshipping Satan tomorrow!” No, that just turns people off.

             But think about what you are doing, watching, and hearing. Is it leading you to accept behavior that is clearly unacceptable? If so, it would be best to do something about it.


*Yes, that was an oxymoron. I didn't know any other way of putting it.