The Temptation of a Happy Meal

The beginning of this year, members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Loma Linda, CA, were in the news.  It seems there were plans for a McDonalds to move into the city, and several church members were doing their best to make sure that didn’t happen.  Though the city is home to Carl Jr., Subway, and even a KFC, for some reason, they saw McDonalds as a threat to the health and well being of their families.  According to a news story, these individuals are, “Fighting, they say, to keep their kids pure from the temptation of a Happy Meal.” 

One person interviewed suggested it would be more difficult for their children to make healthy choices if they had to drive by a McDonalds.  It makes me wonder about the possibility – even the wisdom of – Christians keeping their youth in a manufactured “fortress of purity.”  I suppose if we never allow our children to use the Internet, go to a shopping mall, or associate with other individuals from outside our cloistered world, we might put off the inevitable.  However, as people whose mission is to reach the world with the message of Jesus, that might be a bit difficult to say the least.

As we look back at Mother’s Day and approach Father’s Day, I wonder about the incredible task parents face.  How do you raise a balanced child in an unbalanced world?  How do you instill principles of life that are embraced by your teen so they choose integrity and character over popularity and peer acceptance?  How do you share the love, mercy, grace, and acceptance of Jesus’ call to interact and change our world with the essential wisdom of maintaining a constant connection to our Savior? 

These are not easy tasks, and the job of a parent is not for the faint of heart.  However, I’m not sure that putting “blinders” on your children and never allowing them the freedom of choice is the answer.  I’m afraid this type of mindset may do more to create puppets or rebels rather than Christ-followers. 

Isn’t it possible to introduce our children to the reality of the world we live in without secluding ourselves from it?  Wouldn’t it be wise to guide our children in situations, relationships, and lifestyles that allow them to interact with their culture in a positive and redemptive way?  Can we teach our children the balance of living a healthy life that empowers them to make good decisions - even with regard to the "temptation of a Happy Meal?"

Tami Cinquemani