I was recently driving around town and found myself stuck behind a slow-moving, old septic tank service truck. Remember Fred Sanford’s junk truck on the old T.V. show? If so, you have a pretty good mental picture of the vehicle I was following – basically a pile of rust on wheels.
I’m thankful there are folks willing to do the jobs nobody really wants to do. I can’t quite imagine anyone jumping out of bed each morning and saying, “Oh boy – can’t wait to pump out those septic tanks!” But I’m mighty glad to know that the guy who was driving this truck will be there to do his job if I ever need him.
I, however, was not particularly glad to be driving right behind him. His truck had a big, old, ugly tank on the back, with the name of his company sloppily handpainted on the side. The tank had an extremely rusty valve on the back – the back that was directly in front of my car. Knowing what was in that tank and seeing the flimsy piece of hardware that kept its contents from spewing forth onto my car was a bit unsettling.
I would rather have been following an armored truck, loaded with cash. If it sprung a leak, that would be a happy thing.
I recalled an incident that occurred when I was traveling with some friends down a rural road last year. We were behind a truck pulling an open trailer with three cows in it. Suddenly, “rain” began pelting the windshield of my friend’s car. She turned on her windshield wipers about the time we realized that it wasn’t really raining at all – at least not from the sky. It seems the cows could have used a potty break, but since the farmer wouldn’t stop, well, they did what cows do – all over my friend’s brand new car.
That memory made driving behind this septic tank truck all the more unnerving.
At the risk of sounding like a ranting “church lady,” I must confess that this situation reminded me of some aspects our modern American culture, particularly much of the entertainment industry. It sure seems like way too many popular songs, television shows and movies today are like that septic tank truck – loaded with pretty foul stuff.
Because we want to be numbed, entertained or “enlightened,” we not only follow these cultural septic tank trucks around, we invite them to dump their contents into our minds and hearts, naively hoping they won’t pollute or infect us.
I don’t think God is a “cosmic kill-joy” who is opposed to all forms of fun or entertainment – after all, Jesus’ first recorded miracle occurred at a wedding party. But we’re also told in His Word to be holy – in the world, but not of it. That’s a fine line to walk, but not impossible.
When it comes to choosing entertainment, remember my septic truck story. If you’re sitting in a theatre, listening to the radio, surfing the internet, flipping through T.V. channels, or perusing the shelves at the video store, be aware of what’s going on inside you, way down in your spirit.
If there’s a little nudge inside, a little feeling of heaviness or hesitation, beware – you might be tailgating a leaky septic tank truck. Better to let it go on its way without you.
Philippians 4:8 – “… whatever is true …noble …right …pure… lovely … admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”