Toy Safety

In 1974, the National Products Safety Commission (NPSC) issued 80,000 buttons which read:

For Kids...Think TOY SAFETY

Not long after making and distributing the buttons, the Commission was forced to recall all of the buttons...

...because they had sharp, non-safety edges, detachable parts small enough

for children to swallow AND were decorated with toxic lead paint.  

Well played.

Encourage the public to "think toy safety" while enabling children to stab, choke and poison themselves all at the same time.  Makes sense.

Yikes.

Obviously the irony of this is anything but subtle.  What's more, the life-applications are dramatic and deep as well.

This story is so ridiculous it would be almost unbelievable if I didn't see similar things playing out on a regular basis.

I am a practicing Christian.  I say it that way because I am both active in/with my faith and still practicing it (have yet to perfect it).  Sadly, though, I am all too familiar with Believers engaging in campaigns much like the one of the NPSC.  Our hearts may be in the right place -- a sincere desire to reach out to others and share Christ's love -- but shoddy construction of our message belies its content.

We talk about this unconditional love of God but then put conditions on our love for people.

We trumpet the once-and-for-all nature of Jesus' death and resurrection yet we hold grudges.

We mention how God can cleanse us of our sins and still refuse to forgive others.   

We espouse "brotherly love" only to eschew it when an opportunity to gossip arises.

We claim to have an "overcoming faith" and an Almighty God and somehow manage to worry and gripe just as much as anyone else.

Our words -- or even our jewelry, tattoos, t-shirts, bumper stickers and Facebook posts -- may purport the right things on the surface, but closer examination would prove we are actually toxic.

I do not necessarily have problem with Christians making public displays of their faith per se.  However, I am quite adverse to representations which end up being like these buttons.  If we want to represent Christ, the best way to do that is to live and love like Christ.  If we want to encourage others to consider Jesus, the best way is for us to always be considering Him first.

What those buttons said (and wanted to accomplish) was noble.  What they were made of, however, left them as more hazardous than helpful.  The buttons did nothing to help make toys safer.  They merely brought shame to the NPSC and ultimately needed to be recalled and replaced.  Left unchecked, they could have proven deadly.

I don't want to be like that.  Next time I want to make a public profession of something, I am going to make sure I am in private possesion of it first.  Before I attempt to influence others for the cause of Christ, I want to be confident I'm not presenting anything which may infect them instead.

Is what you're made of reflected in what you say or is what you say refuted by what you're made of?