Sunday, January 6, 2008

Don't see Spelling Bee!



Our family went to the Raleigh Memorial Theatre today for a Broadway play. I was looking forward to doing something cultural and artsy with all our boys. Instead it was a horrible disappointment and we ended up walking out of the performance before intermission. We went to see "Spelling Bee" and I wish every seat had been empty. This was supposed to be a play about a spelling bee, for goodness sake but there was an agenda that had NOTHING at all to do with it. I love words and spelling. I am the type of person who stops to take pictures of typos, this sounded like my kind of show. Instead it was disgusting. 

Several offensive comments and jokes kicked off the show. I was confused from the very start about the premise of the whole thing. We heard jokes about sexual orientation, jokes about politics, jokes about Hispanics, jokes about things I won't write about because they are completely inappropriate and you would be offended (and rightly so). 

I heard a few people behind us, who had brought a children, groan and squirm. At times, it felt like the audience was growing cold and weary. We certainly were. But the absolute worst assault of all was when all the performers sang in unison "G-D it!" during one of the songs. All the performers sang it gleefully. Sickening! My spirit sank and I was angry. I looked over and noticed Nate's jaw tighten and 11 year old Isaac peering over at me. Everything about staying felt wrong. But my husband had given me these tickets as a Christmas present! We had spent over $250 on these tickets! That's a lot of money! Some of my readers might be wondering why we stayed even a second longer. I am not sure, we have since apologized to our children. They broke out in song and used the Lord's name in vain again. There was an embarrassing joke about boy's anatomy and it was clear to us, it was time to go. I am happy that we walked out during the performance so it was obvious five people, a family, were leaving. My prayer is that it gave permission for others to follow suit.

When we spoke to the theatre manager, he said he has heard this from other people. He totally appreciated our perspective. There was nothing glorifying about this event. They were not especially talented or funny either. We had used our Sunday afternoon for this event and had gone just after leaving church. The manager gave Mark the name of his boss and Mark has already called demanding a full refund. This was not a family oriented show. It was a disgrace. 

We walked out from the theatre and I felt like I could breathe again. 
The sun was shining, the day was not lost. I praise the Lord that those words stung so deeply because I have been delivered. Friends, for many years, I must confess, those terrible words found residence on my own tongue. 
I hate sharing this. Lord, please forgive me. But as horrible as this play and those words are, I think it would have been worse to still be sitting in those chairs with my precious husband and babies and not feel anything at all.
 

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 

I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness."

Romans 6:17-19


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now I know what the Lord meant, and why he stated:

3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

My first reaction was, "No... that's just ONE bad thing. I spent a lot of money on these tickets. It's going to get better". Isaac's initial reaction was "Can we leave"? I hate that I am cluttered by the desires of money, comfort and pleasure. I'm grateful a child that that knows that even the first un-holy word is worth standing up and walking out for.

Anonymous said...

Cindy,
I know exactly how you all felt. This has often happened to Joe and me. Movies we view based on reviews and the synopses, or even books I choose. Like you, I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit alerts me when He is grieved. Now, I not only think, "Don't put my children through this", but rather, "Don't put the Spirit through this". I always tell the children not to do or say or hang around anything they would not be comfortable doing with Christ. Unfortunately, my own hypocrisy has shown as I think of the money wasted if I leave, or the fact that the kids are old enough to overlook a couple of irreverencies. But, that's Satan for us, trying to convince us that it's not a big deal. But, like you, I want every thought to be taken captive to Christ (II Cor. 10:5), and to sanctify my being and that of my kids' (I Thes. 5:23), and to think about nothing but Godly things (Phil. 4:8). Your testimony about the play is a super example of how easily we could become desensitized to the world if we allow ourselves. But "holy kudos" to you and Mark. You stood up for the LORD and He's doing the same for you! Your boys learned a valuable lesson, too, and their respect for you and Mark grew tenfold, I'll bet. (I just wish you had left very noisily and "accidentally" interrupted the whole thing! (Although you handled it the way a Christian should.) Love, Wendy Locklar

MyAwesomeOliveShoots said...

Thanks Wendy. When we apologized to the kids, they gave us a lot of grace. I hope it make a big impact on them. Last night, I was praying with Isaac. He came to me saying he was having trouble getting a big word out of his head. We both got on our knees to pray about this. I know he will have exposure to other ungodly things in his life and I praised God that he had the discernment at 11 years old, to speak up. I appreciate your encouraging words. I have a lot to learn, don't we all?

Denise Travis said...

that's terrible! i'm so sorry your afternoon worked out that way. but, God will use it somehow.