Brothers and Sisters,

At the sermon this past week, the pastor was preaching on the gospel of John and how Jesus is the Bread of Life. He then made perhaps one of the most resonating statements that I've heard this year. He said, "We need the Bread of Life to satisfy. We live in a Cotton Candy Culture..."

The statement was breathtaking. While it's a catchy statement, the thing I'm interested in is how that maps out to the current situations people find themselves in and how we look at a society that is rotting:

In summary, a little about cotton candy in general and then I'll investigate some of the extrapolations you can get from that. Cotton Candy is sugar and air. There's some color and other minor stuff mixed in, but it's basically sugar.

Yes, I know that it's a quick summary of cotton candy, but the rest will be noted in the actual note to follow. First, then, is that it's straight processes sugar. I don't think anyone would disagree that it's bad for you, particularly in as large of quantities as people have it. Diabetes is on the rise in America (the numbers aren't important) and there's many other disorders that having too much sugar can influence (including possible links to ADHD). So, why would someone have sugar if it's not good for them? What benefit do they gain? The easy explanation is that there's a sugar-rush that's both enjoyable and awakening. However, with all other drugs, it also addicts the user to it. So, basically, we have an addictive relationship with something that's damaging and un-beneficial. This relates to the culture because the things that are put forward as goals to strive toward (be it money, food, nice house, good friends, sex, spirituality, etc...) can all be good as long as they're not sought after as a goal. That is, as long as they're part of a life worshiping God, all of them can be good. But if you 'refine' life down to JUST seeking after one (or any number) of them without keeping God in perspective, then they start to degrade, addict and rot your life, just like an overabundance of sugar destroys the body.

That leads into the second point. We, Christians, are to be the Salt of the Earth. I recently wrote another note about many of the things that seems to mean. One of the most important notes is that salt and sugar look alike but they taste and act very different. There's no way to look at a real Christian (not saying that those wearing "WWJD" and crosses aren't Christians, but it's not a mark of a Christian. I can't find any disciples wearing them, they didn't need them) and tell offhand that they are a follower of Jesus on the outside. But, how they act and how their lives affect other people is the mark of a true Christian. We're to counter the sugary culture that surrounds us. That's not easy but it's absolutely essential. I don't blame the culture for their evil, I blame us for not living it out better and a salting the culture around us (judgment must start with the family of God). We have the revelation of God and it's our job to teach it to other people that are interested in learning of it. It's our love for other people and our holy lives (combined, can't have one without the other) that will attract those Jesus has called to himself in the first place. Salt and Sugar are opposites, even though they look like.

Third, the cotton candy is inflated. Or, put another way, it looks like there's more there than there actually is. It's sold looking huge and turns out the actual mass is smaller than your hand. That's consumerism at its best. Why do you buy a new car? Because it looks amazing. Why buy the new shirt? Because you can't live without it. Why aren't you satisfied with your cellphone? Because the others look SO GOOD. However, even though it's inflated, it deflates as soon as it hits the taste buds. Or, put another way, it looks good before we sample it. This is perhaps the ultimate cotton candy culture. Movies, advertisements, cartoons, TV shows... these all make THINGS look so good, no matter what it is. Walk with circumspection, God calls us to holy and self-controlled lives. Why get something new (and spend money you could spend elsewhere for His glory) when you know it's going to disappoint you? [Now, as a counter-point, I'm mainly talking about unnecessary buying. Obviously you need clothes, shoes, etc.. but the impulse or "upgrade" buying is what I'm talking about]

Finally, we've talked about how this culture is bad for you, how it's opposite the Christian worldview and how it's inflated to make it look SO GOOD... until you actually sample it. Does this sound at all familiar. All of these are also traits of sin. Sin is inherently bad for you but it looks SO GOOD before you have it (Eve saw the fruit and that it was pleasant to the eye). Once you have it, you want more because it's addicting. However, in the end, you're left with sugar-disorders, pain at having wasted your life and wishes you would have eaten other things. Sin also leaves you with nothing but bitterness and longing for the high again. Also, obviously, sin is opposite the Christian life. You can only live "in the flesh" or "in the spirit" and, one you've become a Christian so you have a new nature, there's a constant war between the two. We're called to live holy lives in a culture of sin. Let us walk with understanding and awareness of what we face. However, never forget that we do not war against flesh and blood but against dark powers. If not for God's intervention, we would be lost. Let us persevere and claim the victory.

In conclusion, we live in the Cotton Candy Culture. It's modeled on sin and making sin look SO GOOD so that we spend our lives seeking things that will harm us. Brothers and Sisters, let us turn our backs on this destructive pattern and walk with all holiness. Jesus is coming back to judge the righteous and the unrighteous. Which camp are you in if you're honestly not bothered to bury your talents, your time and your life in a sugary mess? Jesus called us to be salt, which stings but preserves. He never suggested we should be sugar, which speeds up the decay process. Let us walk after our Lord who saved from sin. Let us not run after it, no matter who makes it look good.