A Christmas Card, Beyonce, and Being Easily Offended

Hillcrest's staff sends out a Christmas card each Christmas.  We send it to our members and attenders as well as places we do business with (vendors, suppliers, non-profits we support, etc).  This year's card had pictures of each of the staff members at the manger and having different 'unique' thoughts.  They were funny. They were somewhat connected to each of staff person's unique personality or job at Hillcrest.  They were not meant to be serious.

Unfortunately, someone was offended.  Probably with the remark on the card about "abstinence only being 99.99% effective".  The person doesn't attend Hillcrest but felt led to leave a message on our machine saying she was offended and also informing us that others who had received the card at her organization were also offended.

At the recent Super Bowl, Beyonce performed the Halftime show.  Judging by the comments on Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere, some Christians were offended by her performance.  Or more precisely, offended by her clothing (or perceived lack thereof).  They couldn't believe she was allowed to perform- in that- and were offended.

Honestly, we are too easily offended.

I missed the halftime show.  Turned to a different channel.  I have nothing against Beyonce, Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, or anyone else who wants to perform.  But as the father of 3 young but maturing boys, I don't need more 'images' coming into my home (especially after our last trip to HyVee and the conversation over the lack of attire of the folks on the magazines by the checkout).  But I have no intentions of writing a letter to CBS, or not watching next year's Super Bowl, or organizing a boycott of companies who advertised during the Super Bowl, or telling my boys Beyonce is a bad person.  What good would that do?  As Christians, we're already better known for what we are against then what we are for.

The caller who was offended by our card could have left her name, number, and given us an opportunity to hear why she was offended and we could have had a conversation.  She could have done nothing.  She could have said something, to herself, like 'well, I wouldn't put out a card like that, but I know the people over there, they are good people, they support us quite a bit, and I am not going to let one card change my opinion of them'.

Too often, though, our response stops at being offended.  And that's the easy way out.