Mistaken I-dentity

Most people don't know this, but the full name of the "Statue of Liberty" is actually "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World." It was abbreviated over time, most likely because it was a little lengthy to fit into a normal conversation. (New Yorkers tend to be short on words. See: I "heart" NY tees as example)

While it makes for an interesting trivia question, it should also be noted that it's not an uncommon practice to shorten the names of things that were originally given a longer name.

For example:

"The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of the Little Portion" is a city we commonly refer to by just two letters: LA. (How would you fit all those words on a Lakers' uniform anyway?)

The full name of the movie abbreviated as "Marat/Sade" is actually "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade." (Try adding that title to your Netflix queue!)

And the full name of the online music store "I-Tunes" is actually "I Tunes Out the Rest of the World by Listening to Music 17 Hours a Day." (I-Pod All of My Music on One Device So I Can Listen Even When I'm Around Other People that I Could Talk to Instead.)

Originally, the "I" in words like I-Tunes, I-Pod, (and I-Spy?) was supposed to be an abbreviation for "internet." But, as the technology has expanded, it seems more appropriate to suggest that it now stands for "isolation."

The greatest problem with I-Tunes and I-Pods and all the other I-devices is that they all start with "I." And as a result, they're eliminating the "we" from much of our kids' family and social experiences.

When I was growing up, I loved to listen to music. But more often than not, it was together with my parents or siblings or friends. It revolved around an older, less sophisticated technology: "We-Tunes" - a boom box, a cassette tape, and a group of us to sing along.

Music was created as a form of worship to God. It's ironic then, that the very thing created as a means of worship has become one of the greatest obstacles to worship for many of the churched youth of today.

You see, for so many of them, entertainment has replaced their worship.

Studies show that typical adolescents spend a third or more of their time engaged in some form of mass media, either watching or listening directly or as a background activity. That means that nearly every minute they're awake in a given day (and not in school), they are being lulled by some form of entertainment. Whether sitting in front of the TV or having music playing while they do their homework, there is almost no point in the day when they are not being saturated with sound.

With the endless symphony of noise, when will they hear the "still, small voice" of God? When are they able to meditate and to "be still and know that [He] is God"?

Even Christian music, with its uplifting messages and positive themes, can still be a hindrance. A dependence on other peoples' music and lyrics can deprive believers of the opportunity to "sing a new song" and to worship God freely out of their own hearts of gratitude and praise.

Another subtle, but damaging way that music replaces worship, is its ability to meet our emotional needs.

A teen who has a difficult day comes home and, instead of talking with her parents or seeking God in prayer, she finds comfort and companionship in the stirring music and sympathetic lyrics of a song she downloads. Then, she listens to it over and over again. Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to comfort her and heal her, she proves the old adage true: misery loves company. Young men will use rap music or rock music as an outlet for their anger when they are frustrated with friends or mad at their parents.

If you think I'm exaggerating the role of music in offering emotional support to youth, go to YouTube.com and read the comments posted on Carrie Underwood's music video "Before He Cheats" or Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" for example. You'll see that young people have made music more than just a source of fun - it's become a source of strength, inspiration, guidance, and community. In the process, our kids are turning a deaf ear to God.

Man was first separated from God because he ate of the forbidden fruit.
Let's not let our kids be drawn away again because of some shiny new Apple.

Don't let them download their values for 99 cents on I-Tunes.

Help them get plugged in to that which really matters.

Talk Back: Do you have guidelines for when your child can listen to music? To what extent, if any, do you monitor their music content? Do you agree with the assumptions put forth here about the affect of music? What's you take on this topic? To post a comment (by name or anonymously), click on "comments" and follow the instructions.