Shakeable Hips and Unshakeable Truths

If you've spent any amount of time on social media since the Super Bowl, you've seen a firestorm of debate over the half-time show. 

Some put others on blast, saying white people are racists who have no love for other cultures. Others will say the show was vastly over-sexualized and of zero value.

Before I give my opinion, I just wanted to share a little background. If you don't know me, I'm a Texas-born Florida gal. I've moved a lot since then, but I spent 16 years on the coast of Florida. I also spent 17 summers in Southern California living with my grandma on the coast of San Clemente. 

I understand I am incredibly blessed (I'll admit, spoiled) to have these experiences. But what they taught me most is a love for other cultures. 

Throughout my childhood I was also a dancer.  My mom, Sandy, danced for the San Antonio Spurs before I was born, so growing up she always encouraged a love for Texas and a love for music. 

Now, Texans are a proud people, fiercely defensive of their culture. If anyone every tried to say a negative word about Selena (a beautiful and talented Tejano artist) or George Strait (the literal King of Country), my mother would go to war.

So. On a night like this past Super Bowl, I'm full of conflicting thoughts and emotions.  

Aspects of Shakira and J. Lo's performance were absolutely stunning! These two women had several numbers that truly honored so many cultures and I believe aspects of it did honor Selena's memory. The music combined with elaborate choreography at one point brought tears to my eyes. 

But other aspects, such as pole dancing, really aren't culturally-enriched. I'm amazed at Jennifer's talent while at the same time broken-hearted. For the last 8 years I've spent time working to fight and end the sex industry. 

I understand many people don't get this and would call me a prude. I just think there's a lot more nuance than that.  

I understand that J. Lo and Shakira were not coerced into their performance, they were paid a heck of a lot of money. But so many women aren't. So many men aren't. We cannot glorify an industry and ignore the rampant issues of rape, abuse and the de-valuing of people.

Genesis tells us that when God created the world it was good, but when God created Adam and Eve they were VERY GOOD (Genesis 1:31). 

My favorite part though, is God's description of how he created humankind.

"Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them."

Genesis 1: 26-27

The idea that we are created in the image of God is called "Imago Dei." Did you see that repetition at the end? The scripture enforces the idea three different times that we, as people, are uniquely created in the image of God. 

No matter who you are – Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Mahomes, Katier Sowers, an audience member at home and in the arena, or a back-up dancer – all humans have equal value. This value is not because of anything they have done but because they have been created in the image of God. Their value does not come from how they dress or if their hips lie, or if they are latino, black, asian, white, or any other ethnicity. 

Your ability to be sexy does not define you. Your ability to dance on the floor or on a pole does not define you. Your ability to perform shirtless or sing like Adam Levine does. not. define. you. 

Of course we cannot expect the world to behave any differently than it does. If you do not have a relationship with Christ you are incapable of any good work. Sure you can be nice. But having manners or skills or talents isn't going to save you. 

You, at your best, working your hardest, you cannot save yourself from the consequence of sin (or things we do in disobedience, which covers a variety of things like lying/stealing/drunkeness/sex outside of marriage). 

But the creator of the heavens and the earth loves you on a scale that can't even be measured. He loves you so much that he sent his son to live the perfect life that you cannot. To die a tortured death, exchanging his perfect life for your dirty broken one, to take the consequences you and I deserve. And he came back to life, defeating death, defeating every single wrong thing you have ever done or even will do.

You are not defined by your past or by your future. Instead, you are defined by what Jesus did on the cross for you. God's desire is that you turn away from the world offers you and says is good, and to lean into him and what he says is good. 

I understand that my worldview may be different than yours, so let's talk about that. It hurts my heart to see so many posts that say, "If you disagree, just stay silent," or "If you disagree, unfriend me." 

You certainly have that option and I won't stop you. However, I'd rather invite discussion. Tell me about your story and experiences so that I can learn a little more about you.

 Maybe if we shouted a little less, and listened a little more, we could make a difference in our world.