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I was recently invited to a show in the city by a client of mine - she’d been invited by someone she knew and was told she could bring a guest with her. This isn’t unusual and I was happy to go along, but asked first about the content of the show. An event we’d attended the previous week had some pretty ‘off’ comediennes performing and I really didn’t want to sit through something else like that again. I’d only stayed because it was an awards night and thought that if my client won an award, it would be really good if I was there for her. I made a comment to my client about last week’s performances and she agreed that they were ‘off’ and suggested I contact the lady who invited her.

I introduced myself on the phone and explained my connection with my client, and then asked two simple questions: Was there bad language in the show, and did it have off sexual references? I was met with a stony silence. After a pause she then said that it’s an adult show and asked me how old I was? I told her and said I take that as meaning the show has bad language and off sexual jokes.

She reacted like I’d insulted her. I tried to explain (nicely) to the lady that I just didn’t appreciate that kind of show and that was why I was asking. She hung up on me. I contacted my client and told her I wouldn’t be going.

It’s a shame that today anyone who would prefer not to go to a show that has bad language and off jokes is treated as though they’re from another world - perhaps the reality is, that we are. Christians need to stand up for what they believe in, and if necessary, question about the content of something they’ve been invited to see. The lady I spoke to said no-one had ever asked her that question before - she was the publicist for the show and it has 4 women who sing and perform, and provide comedy in a show that is supposedly about women with standards. Perhaps a Christian had never been invited to one of her shows before, but I think it more likely that she just never heard about it.

I remember recently hearing in a sermon at church how important it is that we do speak up - that silence can be taken for agreement, when often we are not in agreement at all. There is a time when we need to know when to be silent (as Jesus was when being questioned before his crucifixion) but there are also times when we should make a stand. There are people all around us watching and we might be the only person they know who knows our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What will you be watching during this celebration time of the year? KMT

standards, offend, Christian business