Choosing the right words to convey a message is the focus of a good PR team. We can think of great successes and great failures. McDonald’s will always bring a smile to your face while Edsel will leave no warm feelings at all.
In February I found an absolutely precious heart-shaped box of Valentine candy at Walgreen’s. On it was a wonderful picture of a sloth hanging from a tree with the caption, “Let’s Hang Out!” The box jumped in the cart and a theme for the next Presbyterian Women’s brunch was running around in my head. The reactions to the idea were mixed. They ranged from “Oh what a cutie” to “They are dirty lazy creatures” and on to being one of the 7 deadly sins.
So, my quest began. “Sloth” the word, does not have a positive connotation. Does that apply to that cute little animal in the trees of Latin and South America? Has he just had a bad PR team? He managed to survive and evolve when the giant land sloths that ranged in North America went the way of the dinosaurs. There must be more to the story.
As I have studied these creatures this summer I have learned that yes, they are the slowest moving mammal. They sleep ten hours a day. They come down the tree once a week to do their business. They are covered with algae that provides camouflage for the animal and a whole ecosystem for the sloth moth. They have poor eye-sight. They are not geniuses. They are not social animals. I have also learned they are strong swimmers and survivors against jaguars and harpy eagles. They always smile. They can’t frown.
So why have I developed a real attachment to this animal? It seems to sum up what I think God is calling me to ponder in my heart. I don’t understand all the disparaging, downright hurtful, words especially in regard to young people. I recently led a book discussion about Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. In the PR for the book it was described as “Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.” Yes, there is mystery and a corpse but the overarching story is that of a transgender teen trying to find a place in the world and the world’s reaction to the effort.
Honestly, I considered not doing this book but it was too late and I didn’t want to shy away from it. I needed to see where this book would take me. Coincidentally, not long after this, I sat with a new member of my professional society of educators who was instrumental in the formation of PFLAG in St. Charles County (PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.) This seems like a God-thing connection.
And it took me to the message of the sloth. The animal has anything but a positive connotation. The characteristics we see in the sloth are the way it has been made and loved by the Creator. Recent study of the sloth has brought to light the unique talents and used for its role in the world…humble or great. As we journey through our daily lives we see just a part of what is around us. The people, the places and actions are all subject to descriptions that we and society create in our minds.
Sometimes these descriptions are harsh and unfair and we don’t even realize that the PR we subscribe to can be detrimental to them and to us. All God’s creatures—great and small—are the work of a loving, imaginative, wise and caring Creator. I believe we must slow down and be mindful as we choose the words we use in life. This I believe, we are all made the way we are. God help me to understand and accept all God’s creatures.
Mary Beth Peterson Powell
We hope you are inspired, not only by the faith we express, but by the
challenge to write your own faith story. We are re-posting the stories from last summer hoping you will be inspired to share your faith story with us.
If you write a faith story you would like to share with the congregation, send
it to Bill Tucker for feedback and publication. Only with your permission, we
will publish it on the St. Mark Blog.
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