Below is a screenshot from the latest Expedia commercial. For those who do not know Expedia is a travel site. In the video, they suggest different things you can find by traveling. About in the middle of the video, this image occurs.
Two thoughts occurred to me.
First, I guess we are at a point where we can just say the truth without shame. Most people’s religion in our day is some form of entertainment. Whether it is sports, movies, or something else, their life revolves around it. It is what moves their emotions and it is where they go for relief when trouble comes. Of course, this has been true for a while, but apparently now we can say it out loud without any fear of shame. To admit that our idol is as trite as something like a soccer team is just fine.
Secondly, nowhere in the video is their a reference to some type of true religious pilgrimage or retreat. The video truly shows all sorts of reason why one might travel but not this type of travel is not mentioned at all. If you think I am just biased, realize that in many times and still in many parts of the world, one of the main reasons for traveling was religious. It says something that in such broad video that no one even considered showing a religious destination someone might want to travel to.
Just a snapshot in a one minute ad, but it reveals again how Christ and his Church are thought of in our world. They are perceived as irrelevant in popular culture today. Lord, have mercy. On our world. On your church. Amen.
The whole ad is below:
