How to Share Your Faith Using the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Incident
Have you ever been misunderstood? Done something others totally misinterpreted? Introduced a little 'drama' because you were craving some much needed attention, only to find it blew up in your face and resulted in way too much attention of the wrong kind...like finding yourself in trouble with your friends, teachers, parents, or worse?
Whether you find the Boston authorities' reaction to the recent Aqua Teen bomb scare humorous, or you view the Cartoon Network's ad campaign as misguided and irresponsible - one of the obvious conclusions from this incident is that our actions don't always result in the consequences we intended! What the marketers for the Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force TV series and upcoming movie thought would be a creative alternative ad campaign, the police in Boston interpreted as a potential terrorist threat and bomb scare. Aqua Teen is a quirky, frequently irreverent series that airs as part of the network's "Adult Swim" time block.
In case you missed the story, here's the recap: Boston police found a number of blinking, electronic, 'suspicious devices', attached to bridges and other high-visibility spots around Boston. Highways and bridges were shut down as a result of the scare and city officials estimated $500,000 - $750,000 was expended dealing with the resulting chaos caused by the incident. The 38 signs in Boston represented only part of the promotional campaign. Similar signs had been in place (without incident) for two to three weeks in 9 other cities, including New York, LA, Chicago, Seattle, and Atlanta.
On the day things spiraled out of control, both sides in this ad-campaign-gone-wild were fuming at each other. Fans of the show were quoted as saying things like "...you have to admit, the Boston Police are idiots for thinking these things were bombs. A monkey could have made a better decision" and "anyone under the age of 35 knew this was a joke the second they saw it."
On the other side of the incident, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced, "It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme. I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred."
You kinda get the feeling there are two sides to this story and they aren't seeing things eye-to-eye...
So how can you use this incident as a springboard to talk with your friends about your faith and about God? Here are a few conversation starters to help you:
- Have you ever been misunderstood? Done something others totally misinterpreted and had it result in way too much attention of the wrong kind? If so, what happened and how did you handle it?
- Ask your friends how they react when they feel misunderstood. Where do they turn? Share about the role God plays in your life and how you know you can always run to Him and be understood by Him even when those around you let you down.
- What do you do when you mess up big-time? Is your first reaction to blame others? Do you think the two sides in the Aqua Teen scare are blaming each other? Let your friends know that humans have been pointing their fingers in blame at each other since the dawn of human history. For help explaining this, check out Gen. 3:11-13, where God's asking Adam:
"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
- Ask your friends if they know that the word 'sin' means 'missing the mark'. Explain that we all miss the mark and that's why we need a Savior - that's why Jesus lived, died and rose again - to pay the price for each of us when we miss the mark.
The day after the Aqua Teen incident, one of the 'suspicious devices' had found its way onto e-Bay and was selling for several thousand dollars before the listing was pulled. The e-Bay seller was obviously looking for a creative way to use the situation for advantage, and you too can make something positive of this incident - try using it to 'bring God up' in your conversations with friends.
