We Sell Values By How We Choose To Live

by Eric Elkin

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

— Luke 6:28

What would your personal Super Bowl advertisement sell? Let’s say for a moment, you received a $6.5 million gift with one stipulation. The money must be used on a Super Bowl commercial. This money would give you 30 seconds to communicate to the largest audience (112 million people) in the modern world. What would you sell?

Advertisers do not sell products. They sell values. For example, Amazon’s most recent Super Bowl commercial was designed to convince you Alexa is a trusted partner. A partner who can read your mind yet is smart enough to give you freedom for your own thoughts.

Driving home from work the other day, I found myself behind a vehicle with several bumper stickers on it. Each sticker was a strongly worded statement about the world, the government, and the state of the culture. The driver was desperate to tell the world something. They probably needed more than a 30-second commercial to communicate all they had to say to the world.

The value being sold was anger. The back of the vehicle was a commercial, and I was the target audience. Obviously, the driver did not have $6.5 million to spend on the Super Bowl. Stickers are affordable, and driving around town is more efficient than filming a segment for publication. Still, the driver had the same desire as Amazon to sell a product.

“Engaging people is about meeting their needs – not yours.”

— Tony Robbins

WSPD? That stands for “What Should a Person Do?” How should I respond to the driver in front of me? Words of scripture were dancing through my head. I had just preached a sermon on washing feet. Followed by a message on the Great Commandment and a Bible study discussion on the Beatitudes. It felt like the Holy Spirit was testing my integrity by placing this car in front of me.

This may seem an oversimplification, but I believe there is a direct connection between bumper stickers and the feeling of being heard. One or two bumper stickers is a quiet statement. Three to four is a loud voice leaning towards a shout. Five or more is a manifesto. People write manifestos when they do not feel heard by anyone.

I would have preferred to ask the driver to tell me about the messages. Even if I didn’t want to speak to them. Sometimes when people feel heard, they do not scream as loud. And they feel valued as a human being. Listen is one way to love your enemies. Note: listening is not agreeing, nor does it give permission. One cannot debate an opponent with integrity if the enemy does not feel you are listening.

A discussion was not possible. Instead, I determined not to buy what the driver was selling, anger. By not purchasing the product, I was not supporting the value. Personal anger and hatred need the support of opponents to thrive. If the driver convinced me to get angry in response, I joined the cause. Then hatred is a product of great value.

So, let’s go back to where I started. What would your personal Super Bowl advertisement sell? Most likely, your advertisement will never make it to the big game. However, each of us is selling a value by how we choose to live. Just because the Nielsen Ratings cannot measure your audience size does not mean you do not yield significant influence. It’s been two weeks since I saw those stickers, and still, I cannot let them go.

Click to read Luke 6: 27-38