I recently completed a stretch of speaking in six different settings in six different places over the course of nine days. As we travel to different churches to raise awareness and hopeful Gospel-centered responses to today’s youth culture, I typically field requests from parents and youth workers to give what insights I can into whatever is trending in culture at that moment in time. During the nine day stretch that included time with groups in Alabama, Florida, Mexico, and here locally in Central Pennsylvania, one issue consistently raised was the current cultural narrative on sexuality and gender. We’re working hard here to understand and address these issues with a balance of biblical truth and Godly grace. (We would be happy to come and speak with your group about these issues.)
Parents and youth workers are longing and looking for biblically-faithful voices and resources that don’t mirror the cultural narrative. . . a cultural narrative to which many leaders in the church are caving to and even propagating these days. One of those timely and trustworthy voices that I’ve come to love and respect is HarvestUSA, a ministry on a mission to bring the truth and mercy of Jesus Christ by helping individuals and families affected by sexual struggles and by providing resources that address biblical sexuality to individuals and churches. I am consistently pointing folks to this organization. If you are a leader or parent who is working to address these issues with your kids, then HarvestUSA is for you. And, if you – like all of us – are struggling personally with some level of sexual brokenness, then HarvestUSA is for you too.
A couple of weeks ago, a blog post by HarvestUSA’s Director of Discipleship, Mark Sanders, appeared on the HarvestUSA site. The post, “Open Your Eyes the Next Time You Look at Porn”, offers a perspective we need to not only consider and embrace, but communicate to our kids. I encourage you to read it and pass it on.
Sanders writes. . .
This might sound strange, even contradictory, but I’m convinced it’s true: Most people, if not all, watch pornography with their eyes closed.
No, this does not mean that their eyes are physically shut. Of course they’re watching with eyes glued to the screen. But, as they watch, they are deliberately refusing to look at what’s actually happening in a pornographic picture or video. Why? Because acknowledging the truth about pornography is difficult, shame-inducing, horrifying, and even nauseating—but the truth could be just what the Spirit uses to break the spell that porn has on you. So let’s actually take a look at what pornography is.
We’ll start with the most extreme cases. Because so much of pornography is free and hosted by sites that take content from various sources, there is no way to know whether the acts committed onscreen are consensual or not. Many women and minors are being trafficked in the sex industry against their will. Much of this is caught on camera and released onto the internet, and some even finds its way onto mainstream sites. The next video you watch may be a criminal act that you took pleasure in. . . (continue reading here).