My Miniscule Mustering of Christian Courage

Upon hearing “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,” the persuasive and rhetorically rich talk given by Robert D. Hales of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints is set a goal for myself: In the next conflict of opinions I face I am going to “avoid…[unduly] [judgment] of others’ views” sometime in the next day. Such was the power of the talk and such became the challenge of today and such will become the subject of this blog post.

Last month I had the unfortunate opportunity of receiving a ticket from a Utah highway patrol officer. This event led to some frustration and a waste of a perfectly good Wednesday evening to be spent in stuffy room filled with a large group of people who also don’t want to be there. Upon arriving at the designated location I was informed by the security guard that the court in which I was actually supposed to be at was located 3 blocks away which gave me the opportunity to run like a maniac to get there in time. When I poked my head in to the classroom the teacher caught my eye he only said “You are two minutes late, come back tomorrow.” Not the opportunity to state my case or to call him the rude names I so wanted to call him—and knowing how futile either choice would have been—I left the building very angry at that man. What was I supposed to do in that situation? How do I respond with Christian courage?

Luckily I had a long walk back to my car which gave me some time to think over the events that had taken place and examine my anger. After a few minutes of thinking about how I really should have really let that guy have it, I realized that in some small way my decision to not say something mean-spirited back to him was my mustering of Christian Courage. Sure it could probably be said that I wimped-out by not saying anything rude, but such a decision was in some small showing courage. As Robert D. Hales said: “When we do not retaliate—when we turn the other cheek and resist feelings of anger—we too stand with the Savior…That is not weakness. That is Christian courage.” It certainly would have been easier to say what I wanted to say to in some way get back at this guy for the inconsideration he showed me, but the harder choice of letting it go was what was really expected of me. As I thought this liberating thought I than began to see the teacher’s viewpoint. Perhaps he has to turn students away that are late. In some small way I understood the guy and in some very small way did as Elder Hales told us that we should do with our accusers: I loved him.

So I realize that in writing this blog I’ve probably been pretty revealing of just how hardheaded of a guy I really am. While forgiving the wrongs of some traffic school teacher may not be comparable to forgiving your murderers while they are in the act of killing you as Christ did, this was my mountain to climb. In the end I’m proud of myself and glad that I had the opportunity to do as Elder Hales suggested and act with Christian Courage.

The Power of the Milk Mustache

Advertising is an interesting form of argument. When I use the word argument I do not mean it as one would describe two children disputing over whose turn it is to play with a wanted toy—what I mean is argument as a form of persuasion. Advertisement is certainly a form of persuasion and thus argument. Companies of all varieties use the tool of advertising to persuade us into cooperation with them—that is to use their product. The nature of advertising as argument is that the points asserted by the company need to connect with the audience quickly and with little explanation as the audience is apt to move on to something else if what they are now viewing isn't of interest to them. Because of this challenge today’s advertisements, for the most part, have become very effective at quickly connecting with an audience and making a case for that audience to use their product.

Such is the case with the familiar "Got Milk?" ads common to billboards and magazines throughout the US. I find these advertisements to be very effective forms of argument. To put it one way, they do a lot with a little. When an advertiser knows that all that it will take for some average Joe like me to want a glass of milk is a photo of someone famous and a few sentences of dialog than you know that they are really on to something.

If you were, for example, to look at the “got milk?” ad featuring Superman, played by Brandon Routh, you would see a lot communicated in a small one page advertisement. In this advertisement Superman stands, arms folded, in true superhero stance behind a scene above the clouds as if he were somehow suspended in the air. At first glance you may miss the faint white milk-mustache just above his upper lip which is the focus of the advertisement. In the dialog, Superman articulates his tender feelings for this healthy drink and, in an inviting (persuading!) way expresses that I too may consume said drink.

The power that lies behind this and other “got milk?” advertisements is that by portraying uncommon and influential people in a common light with a milk mustache it somehow connects us. “Maybe by drinking milk I am pretty super just like superman. I mean if he drinks milk it must be cooler than I thought it was.” What makes it even more effective is that if Superman isn’t really your cup of tea (or milk) than wait till next month when in the next issue of your favorite magazine you will see Miley Cyrus posed with a milk-mustache and expressing her undying love for this wonderful beverage. No matter who you are someone has a milk-mustache that will speak to you—or so the guys at “got milk?” would hope.