Monday, December 30, 2013

Destructive Standards of Beauty

I am not neutral.


I came across this post today, which shows a video which is critical of how the "beauty industry," driven solely by profit, has constructed standards of attractiveness which are totally unrealistic.




In my opinion, these [often artificial] standards of beauty are causing a great deal of damage, particularly to women. Obviously, being male, I probably don't fully appreciate the psychological effects that can result from this. Maybe I'm stepping over the line by discussing this here, I don't know.

By the way, I totally realize that this video was developed as an advertisement for Dove. Interestingly, Dove is actually owned by Unilever, which distributes another brand I've discussed in a previous post. Clearly I can't dictate how these companies conduct their marketing campaigns. But we can exercise freedom of speech with our wallets. Our buying behaviors influence how marketing departments shape their messages. I'd prefer that they propagate a message which is a bit more healthy and realistic for all of us.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Keep the Flame Burning

What can the Underground Railroad, the season of Advent, and a parable teach us about perseverance in faith?


During undergrad, I was privileged to sing with the UAlbany Chamber Singers, directed by David Griggs-Janower at the time. Around the fall of 2004 we performed the song "Keep your Lamps Trimmed and Burning." This African-American spiritual alludes to the Underground Railroad, a network of secret traveling routes and safe-houses which led many people to freedom at a time when slavery was sanctioned by the government, and when racism was deeply ingrained into the theology of some religious communities.

The lyrics, which describe the use of an oil lamp while traveling by night, are an encouragement to persevere and to not lose faith, even though the journey is long and the odds seem impossible:

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
The time is drawing nigh
Children don't get weary
'Till your work is done

But these lyrics have a dual meaning. They also refer the parable of the ten bridesmaids, an illustration of the importance of keeping one's faith alive even in times of uncertainty. In it, a group of young women in a wedding party are asked to keep watch during the night for the groom, whose day and time of arrival is unknown. They are admonished to keep enough oil in their lamps to keep the flame going for when the groom arrives.

This parable reveals a core reality of the Christian faith. We hear the news that God's mercy and his justice are real and will be fulfilled. But we can't escape the fact that, presently, the world is full of suffering and injustice. We wonder, "when is God going to show up?" No one alive now has seen the Groom himself in person, and like Peter, at times some of us wonder that our hope may be in vain. But, despite our doubts, we keep our lamps burning, with faith, trust, and hope.

The season of Advent resonates with the depiction in this parable. The flames of the candles which are lit during Advent symbolize and emphasize that we are waiting patiently on God. When we sing the 12th century Advent hymn "O come Emmanuel," we acknowledge the world's present state of injustice and brokenness, and affirm that, like those who paved the way to freedom via the Underground Railroad, we believe in something which seems impossible:

O come Desire of nations bind
All people and all hearts in one mind
Bid envy, strife, and discord cease
And fill the world with heaven's peace