Category: commercials

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A Picture of Brotherly Love in a Commercial

There’s something interesting about the love between brothers and the way in which they show it. There’s a combination of competitiveness and deep love: “I get to hassle you, but no one else had better do that!”

In the video below, although the older boy continually reminds his younger brother who’s in charge, there’s actually some underlying respect in his actions. It’s as if he’s saying, “I know you can take it. I’m just trying to prepare you for life. There’s always going to be someone bigger and stronger than you are, so stay humble!”

When someone else torments the younger boy, however, the older brother steps in. Without uttering a word, he conveys this message: “I’ve always got your back.”

At times, Jesus was pretty tough on His Apostles, but I suspect the situation wasn’t so far removed from what this video shows. Jesus was saying, “I’m getting you ready for something that you can’t handle right now. And remember, I’ve always got your back” (see John 16:12 and Mat 28:20).

Enjoy the video.

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Distractions, as Seen in a Commercial

The word “distracted” most literally means to be drawn or pulled aside. When distracted, we lose our focus and may act improperly, unwisely, or incorrectly.

The commercial below depicts a young man trying to play a video game while eating. The results are comical and destructive inside the video game world.

The cosmic battle in which we are engaged, however, is no game, and our distractions can have real effects. Scripture says of Jesus, As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). St. Paul says, But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13-14).

Along the way in our lives we are too easily distracted. Remember the goal; remember the battle. Pray for the gift to be resolute and singlehearted.
Behold, then, this picture of distraction.

https://youtu.be/iOrog_Wws7E

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The Danger of a World Without Walls

God’s commandments can be likened to defensive walls. Every ancient city had such walls to protect its citizens. Even though the walls limited movement, within them people could come and go safely. Outside those walls, all bets were off; things could be dangerous despite the open vistas.

Scripture says,

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper. May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you” (Psalm 122:7-8).

Today, many relish in tearing down walls, not so much physical ones as moral ones, particularly moral laws that set boundaries and help to determine where one person’s space ends and another’s begins. The #MeToo movement has rightfully protested the fact that many people have transgressed proper boundaries. When that happens, the world is less safe, and abuse becomes commonplace.

Maybe God’s laws, which are like walls or boundaries, aren’t so bad after all. Perhaps we should not have been so joyful in tearing down the walls of God’s commandments through the sexual revolution. Maybe, just maybe, some walls are good.

This video clip presents a humorous picture of our iconoclastic times.

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Our Common Threat, as Seen in a Commercial

The commercial below is humorous, albeit preposterous. Here is the scenario: the earth has stopped rotating on its axis and “scientists” say that if everyone runs in the same direction we can restart the rotation, much like hamsters running in an exercise wheel.

Of course, as the standard disaster movie format requires, the news anchor both explains everything to us and gives us our orders from the scientists. In the end, mankind triumphs; crisis averted; roll credits. (Oh, and don’t forget to buy Nike shoes).

It’s rather amusing and pokes fun at the predictable disaster movie recipe.

There is a point to ponder in this standard disaster movie plot. Peter Kreeft once said, “When a maniac is at the door, feuding brothers reconcile.” Many disaster movies use this insight and present us with some sort of universal threat, some outside enemy that threatens all of mankind. Suddenly, partisan politics disappear; nations stop fighting one another and unite to solve the shared problem or repulse the common enemy.

But of course this is the reality. Every human person does have a common enemy: Satan. St. Paul writes,

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the high realms (Eph 6:12).

In other words, our real battle is not against one another, but against Satan and his demonic army. Sadly, this truest of battles is hidden from most, who instead focus their attention on other, lesser ones.

What will God need to do to refocus our attention? Let’s hope it’s something less than a worldwide disaster! Something tells me that we are so distracted and divided these days that nothing short of the catastrophic will get our attention. Oremus.

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Seeing Beyond Appearances

The commercial below presents one of life’s little tests: the “middle seat.” There’s a lot of stress involved in flying, and on top of that we’re in like cattle. Finally, there is that dreaded middle seat. We’re not happy if we’re consigned to one and often feel apologetic about it to our seatmates, even though we paid for the seat just as they did. If we’re seated in either the window or aisle seats we hope that the person in the middle isn’t too unusual or, dare I say, too large. Yes, we all hate that middle seat and only hope to minimize the discomfort.

This commercial depicts the unfortunate truth that we often judge the physical appearance of others above other things. It is the first thing we see (or experience) of another, but one would wish we were less shallow.

Perhaps airplanes are the last place we will overcome this tendency, for our meetings there are just by chance. Pray for the ability to avoid hasty judgments based on mere appearance, particularly in the more stable settings in your life. Mere appearance leaves too much undisclosed.

Enjoy the commercial, with its clever twist.

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Our Tendency to Entertain Lies as Seen in A Vintage Commercial

We tend to lie to ourselves about many things; we are even “glad” at times to have others lie to us. This is especially true in matters related to flattery and vanity. Perhaps we can label these “vain lies.”

There are other lies that are far more serious in their impact because they besmirch the truth that is necessary for us to thrive and even to be saved. Let’s call these “damnable lies.” Of these St. Paul warned,

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim 4:3).

And he warns more darkly,

Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Tim 3:13).

The commercial below speaks more to a vain lie, but edges toward a damnable lie because it can seriously affect our health. We often like to think that we eat less than we do. We also entertain lies related to our weight: we’re only heavy because we have a big frame or large bones. In the commercial, the woman assures us that drinking a small bottle of soda will actually help us to lose weight—not too likely!

Anyway, enjoy this lie from a pretty lady who probably never went anywhere near the product she was paid to sell.

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Words Do Not Make Reality, As Seen in a Commercial

The situation of the man in this commercial reminds me of modern life in general. We talk a lot about freedom, but compulsiveness, addiction, and lack of self-control are more the case with the average person.

We have collectively rejected the “Ten Big Laws of God,” declaring our freedom from being told what to do. But the result has not been that we have fewer laws; rather we now have thousands of “little laws,” imposed upon us through oppressive government, by which we are told what we must do under penalty of law.

Many cultural revolutionaries have marched under the banners of freedom and tolerance, but once having gained a foothold they have tyrannically forced their agenda on others by law. The talk of tolerance and respect for differences turned out to be just that—talk.

The man in this advertisement talks a lot about how important mobility is to him, but the reality of his life is far from his self-description. In fact, he seems quite unaware of his condition. Does he not seem familiar?

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Humility and Our Hidden Faults, as Seen in a Commercial

The video below humorously illustrates a biblical principle about our hidden faults. Indeed, we all have sins and behaviors that are obvious to others but of which we are unaware. In addition, we have even deeper faults of which no one is aware except God Himself, who sees our innermost heart. Consider some of the following passages from Scripture:

  • By [your ordinances] your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern his errors? From my hidden faults acquit me, O Lord. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me (Psalm 19:11-13).
  • You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence (Psalm 90:8).
  • For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Eccl 12:14).
  • Mind you, I have nothing on my conscience, but I do not stand thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. (1 Cor 4:4).
  • The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear only later (1 Tim 5:24).
  • Call no man happy before he dies, for by how he ends, a man is known (Sirach 11:28).

Although some of our sins are obvious to us and we should rightly work to correct them, lest we sin through pride we ought always to recall that we also have sins and faults that are hidden from us. Others may see them or perhaps they are only known to God.

At the end of the day we’re all going to need a lot of grace and mercy!

Enjoy this commercial that illustrates this well, and enjoy a little humor during this otherwise difficult time of Church introspection.