I'm a team player.
But I have limits. There are a lot of occasions that these limits are tested, even on Christmas parties. These scenarios could really dampen the joy of the
season, but someone has got to say no. Someone has got to voice out the truth.
I choose the joy of the Lord.
As it was, for being
part of a company management, and being known as a Christian, I was tasked to
do an opening prayer and prayer for the food.
And pray I did.
Then the games began. In a company of mostly women, the guys
are always picked. In fact, we were so few that we had to recruit the men from
the caterers.
But just before this program, my wife sent me a text
message. It was very timely.
And so there I was, standing in front with my game partner and other players, when my jaw dropped in unbelief as they demonstrate how to
execute the game with the balloons.
My game partner is a fellow Christian though from another
church. Immediately I told her, “I’m opting out of this game.” Another
colleague, a table seatmate, who also knew me to be “conservative,” was shouting that
I use a pin or something to easily pop the balloons. I guess, in her mind, I
could lessen the embarrassment of performing the indecent gesture to pop the
balloons. Getting wind of this bold tip, the game master started adding that no
other stuff is to be used in the game, just our bodies.
And while they were laughing and jeering at the demo, I
slowly slipped away at the side and went to the restroom. When I got back, I
waited at the door to make sure the game is over. I don’t want to add more of
those images in my head. While I stood there, re-reading my wife’s text, and
then pretending to engage more with my cell phone, I was brimming with disgust
on how we have ever come to that level.
With that, I was reminded of my mother’s office Christmas
party way back in grade school. The game master called for a group of guys
who were drinking in some isolated table, and they were partnered with some
single ladies. The game was for the ladies to pass a 1 peso coin from a man’s
one pant leg to another. And they did this with some innocent kids with around!
Just how wrong can this be?
When Christians don’t feel remorse over these lewd sexual
acts, then our consciences are seared. We need to be sensitive to the Holy
Spirit again. Let us go back to the basics.
God is the author of sex and gratification. He created our
bodies, and He knows fully well the measure of our pleasure.
But sex is only truly beautiful inside marriage. Outside of
marriage it becomes a perversion. That’s just what the devil does. Our accuser
perverts all that is godly and beautiful. And all who follow after him become
perverted as well. Needless to say, those games portraying sexual acts are
perverted.
And to make matters worse, not everyone in the room are
married. Not that it‘s okay if all of us in the party were married. Again,
those sexual acts are supposed to be discreet. This is a sample consequence, for
both married and single: Those perverted sexual acts that were enjoyed in public in
the company of friends and colleagues are not really funny. They act as seeds
of desire that can grow into uncontrolled passion. It wouldn’t be a surprise if
some of those single ladies will be pregnant outside wedlock, or some married
folks commit adultery. Why? Because they had just laughed about it as a norm.
I’m sure that there were other decent people there in the
party who wouldn’t have had such horrible experiences of lewdness if not for
that party. They are weak. They are intimidated by peer pressure. They don’t know
that they can say no, or go out of the room for a while.
When I slipped out before the game, some of them felt bad. How
could I be such a killjoy! Oh dear, the feeling is mutual. I felt bad. How could they
kill this joy of good ‘ol clean fun?!
Christians in right-standing before God are very lenient and
gracious. We just look the other way. It is the presence of sin that demands
conformity. Sin does not tolerate. Evil wants everyone in the same boat. Misery
loves company.
-=w=-
With the exception of this blog (where I document some
moments), I don’t go around my colleagues telling them how nasty the games
were. I just make a stand. I make a statement with my actions, and smile at
everyone. For now, I’ll catch more flies with honey than with a swatter.
Then, at an opportune time, in much intercession and
preparation, I’ll have the opportunity to share the Gospel. Then the Holy
Spirit will do what He does best: convict the world of their sin. It’s not my
job to convict them, but only to share the Lord’s saving grace.