We are only a couple of weeks away from, what has become a great winter tradition in the United States, the viewing of the annual Superbowl commercials.
In this tradition, companies spend ridiculous amounts of money to buy a minute of television air time, and to produce the most creative
advertisements and thus get their brand name in front of people around the world.
Names like Nike, Pedigree, Fed-EX, and Capitol One are likely to be seen.
The purpose of these advertisements is to instill a connection in the minds of people so when they have a need they will remember the brand name.
It’s sort of like selling your name in search of future rewards.
For the past several decades brand names have become increasingly more important in society world wide. In watching coverage of some of the recent disasters; Katrina, Ike, The Asian Tsunami, and most recently the Haiti earthquake, you will see the impact of brand name appeal.
As people are rescued. in these disasters, be it from rooftops, floating debris, or dug from beneath tons of rubble from a collapsed building, they
often are wearing a Nike shirt, a Los Angeles Dodgers hat, or some other brand name which has become a symbol of success or affluence. Even in the scenes from the poorest of nations, Haiti, Sudan, Afghanistan for example, people manage to grab hold of a brand.
In the United States, young men and women have lost their lives over a pair of shoes or a shirt bearing a particular brand name. People have had their fingers cut off and hands otherwise mangled, to get a ring or watch of a particular brand. People have been shot or stabbed, even had their children drug alongside a speeding SUV because the vehicle was a favorite carjacking brand.
The people of the world have become so fasinated with brand names
they will spend huge sums, often sums they don’t have, to acquire merchandise of a particular brand.
As I look around the internet it is becoming increasingly apparent that fatherhood is becoming a subject of interest. Much like wedding sites, fatherhood sites are springing up everywhere. Some are becoming so popular they are attracting sponsors and are becoming sites that dispense merchandise as well as advise.
This in and of itself is not a problem. There is no reason anyone should be condemned for using their own creativity and experience to make a living. The problem comes when the line between fatherhood and brand identification become blurred.
Fatherhood is not a brand name!
Fatherhood is the relationship between a father and his child. It is a sacred and ordained relationship that is natural to the human experience. It is spiritual as well as physical in nature and, when done in excellence, mirrors the relationship between God and man.
Psalms 16:4-5 talks about our relationship with God in these terms;
“4) Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear, I’ll never treat god names like brand names. 5) My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice.” (The Message)
If God is our example of the perfect father then, likewise, we should never treat fatherhood like a brand name. Fatherhood in not for sale. Like our relationship with our Father God, we should strive to keep fatherhood an intimate and personal relationship.
En servicio como Padre
Dave
United States. Certainly an act of love.
somehow involving a golf club and a broken car window, his life unraveled squarely in the public eye. Mistress after mistress came forward with stories of infidelity and deception. I can only imagine the impact on his children and his wife.
Billy Graham, one of the most recognized names in the world. He is known for his ministry that is credited with immeasurable numbers of people who have come to a relationship with Jesus Christ. He has been the “pastor of presidents”, the author of books, and the voice to the nations. All that being said, his role as a father doesn’t come to mind when his name is uttered in most circles.
through the Fort Hood attack and the resulting memorial service. Horrible as it is, it was a clear reminder to all Americans.
to read about those who have and still are putting their country ahead of their personal ambitions to make our lives a little safer.
Or so we think.








