Is this ad judgmental, or is it just me?

Sister Rejane  
This Random Nun Clip is brought to you by A Nun's Life Ministry.

Sister Shannon  
So we heard also from Charlotte, in Indiana, and she writes to us: "I love to listen to Christian radio, because it's so uplifting for me. But on my favorite station, there is one thing that really bugs me, but maybe it shouldn't, which is why I'm contacting you. The line they use to describe the radio station is something like 'We are a light of positivity in a world of negativity.' It bothers me because to me it feels somewhat judge-y and actually negative. On their programs, they do talk about evil and hate in the world, which I understand. So I don't know why that one line grates on me. Am I being overly sensitive about that?" Charlotte, this question just tickled me. Not because I'm taking it lightly, but because what I saw in you is your own ability to think deeply about the words that we use and our faith and how important it is. There's some growth in you if you recognize that theologically, to put things at opposite poles -- positive or negative and no in-between -- is too narrow.

Sister Maxine  
And that is a good point, because you know, that tagline -- "light of positivity in a world of negativity" -- it kind of catches you theologically, because my first reaction was, well, you know, God made creation, and God saw that it was good. And I thought, well, maybe it's the world of negativity, based on human action. Now, that did not sit any better with me, frankly.

Sister Shannon  
No.

Sister Maxine  
And so yeah, I thought it was good, Charlotte, that it did catch your attention.

Sister Shannon  
Yes, that's the best part.

Sister Maxine  
That is the best part. Because I think we need to pay attention to the words we hear. And we need to ask ourselves, "What about that" -- as Charlotte would say -- "What about that is bugging me?"

Sister Shannon  
The limitations that are sometimes there because of the language that we use -- you know, we speak in metaphors all the time. We're trying to talk about God, we're trying to use images that help us to understand who God is. But a recognition that that is too simplistic of an approach to just say, "black and white," right? It's either positive or negative, or no in between, eliminates all the wonder and the joy that's in the middle, which I think is important. But I'm just delighted that you recognize that, Charlotte, and I'm glad it bugged you. I was sharing with Sister Max earlier that in the early days of my community life, when folk music was beginning to enter into our Eucharistic practice, and people were writing songs, the language did not bother me. So 200 women, sitting in chapel singing, "Be a new man," or "Sons of God, hear His holy word." Now, I would never sing that!

Sister Maxine  
You play the guitar, and you're a good singer. So I bet you were also leading.

Sister Shannon  
I was leading it! Right. And it was not an issue. But when we become more educated, when we begin to realize that language functions, and it teaches people. If you only ever, for example, call God "Father," then that notion of God becomes almost an idol as a father, and we lose the sense of God's interaction in our lives in a female kind of way, just to use an example. You know, Jesus said, "I long like a hen to gather the chicks under my feathers" -- you know, that's not a manly thing to do for a guy. But it's the language, the metaphor, is beautiful. So the language teaches us, but it also functions, and you realize that this slogan that they're using is too small.

Sister Maxine  
And it's kind of contradictory to Christianity, I think she's implying here, because it's judge-y. And actually negative. So she says, they do talk about evil and hate in the world. And so to be that light of positivity, she's saying they still talk about that. But I think what I hear in this is that it's a judgment on the world and human beings in the world that is that is jarring, her. Now, theologically, we know this is extremely narrow. But let's look at it from like, an advertising and marketing perspective.

Sister Shannon  
Good point.

Sister Maxine  
Yeah. Because they obviously are not making a good theological statement with this.

Sister Shannon  
And maybe they weren't even trying to.

Sister Maxine  
No.

Sister Shannon  
They were trying to get listeners.

Sister Maxine  
That's right. I think that's the purpose of this slogan. It doesn't make it right. And we would hope for even a slogan to reflect better theology, frankly. It should be able to do that. But they’re probably looking at, okay, we want to convey the sense of we've got the Good News to share. And they want to attract people to that, which is good, which is good. But they're also using those polar opposites to make a quick point, a point that you can't miss as a listener. And listeners are very important, because the more listeners you have in the right demographics -- that means that you're going to be able to keep the station running.

Sister Shannon  
That's right. That's right.

Sister Maxine  
And money is a fact of life. There's the researchers, there's the On Air talent, there's the engineers, there's the editors. If you listen to a public radio show, and they announce the people who are part of that show at the end, there's like a whole cast there. You know, money is important, and so a tagline’s got to be quick, catchy, and it's got to get the listeners activated.

Sister Shannon  
That's right. And we can go back and think of all kinds of taglines that are probably not so good today. [laughter] But they got our attention, and we still remember them. So that's part of what's going on. But I know you probably are aware of this, Charlotte. But there's a difference between good judgment, which involves critique, and criticism, which is the sort of negative, judge-y, not having all the facts kind of attitude that we sometimes bring. But it's important to, I think, engage in good criticism and good critique. And that's what you're doing here. It's why it's bugging you, you will begin to see that in other areas of your life, when you listen long enough to somebody saying, when a bad thing happens, "Why did God do this to me?" The thought that God is being portrayed as the perpetrator in that statement will begin to bug you as well. So that there are ways that we approach discussing what we think is our relationship with God, that has to continue to evolve and grow as our understanding of who God is. And the image that we hold for God also evolves and grows.

Sister Maxine  
As you were mentioning, Shannon, it's so important to keep our ears open. To hear the theological statements in things. There are theological statements in a lot more things than one might initially imagine. Architecture, a lot of theological statements in the architecture of a church, of a building. Even in advertising materials, you know, the objects that we see sold, there's theology. If you have your ears and eyes open for the theology of everyday life, you can see it all around you.

Sister Shannon  
That's right. And that's a really important skill, I think, to develop in your own thinking. And it's step by step removing limiting images. And of course, you remove one image from your vocabulary, and it's replaced by another that works better for you at the time. One of the theologians that I studied in school was Elizabeth A. Johnson -- she's a wonderful theologian -- and she talks in her works about how language functions, and that the images and the metaphors that we use die when we forget that they're metaphors and images, and we make them a literal-ness. And so this little slogan seems to suggest that literally the earth is bad, and Christianity is good, and the two never meet one another. That's too small of a point of view. And so three cheers for you, Charlotte, that it's bugging you.

Sister Maxine  
And maybe keep reading about theology, if you're already doing that. Certainly keep listening, keep listening to your favorite Christian radio -- there's no reason to, as they say, throw the baby out with the bathwater, because it sounds like this is a good thing in your life, and that you enjoy it. So to recognize that this piece of it's there, that tagline is going to make your groan every time you hear it. But don't quit listening to the radio just because of that, but to also continue to learn and be open to all the other theology that is surrounding you in your life. It really, I think, is enriching for life.

Sister Shannon  
It's kind of an invitation to you to consider the music you're listening to and the words that are being expressed. Because if language truly does function, then you're being affected by what you sing, by what you hear, by what you say.

Sister Maxine  
And to really consider how that is affecting you. In what particular ways, how is that language functioning within you? How is it shaping your beliefs? How is it creating that dissonance and why?

Sister Shannon  
I hope we've helped you to sort of look at why that one phrase seems to grate on you, Charlotte, and that we've helped you to see that this is a good thing, that you're paying attention, that you're having a little moment of awakening, a realization that something doesn't work in your overall approach to who God is.

Sister Maxine  
So we'll keep you in our prayer Charlotte as you continue this journey of discovery and again, I hope you continue to listen to that favorite Christian radio.

Sister Rejane  
To hear full episodes of A Nun's Life podcasts. Visit the podcast page at anunslife.org/podcasts.

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.