Purity in Publicity

THE more I heard about manipulative tactics in campaigning and other publicity, the more I wanted to do something that would reduce--even eliminate--sleazy presentations that demean everyone involved. Even reducing the amount of cheap, vulgar, or shoddy publicity is a big challenge, and I realized that I needed to base my efforts on the spiritual standpoint we find in the Bible. I knew that by turning for guidance to the allness and purity of God, Spirit, which Christ Jesus taught, I could find the Bible

truths that would show me specifically how to correct evil suggestions with purity.

Very quickly, Jesus' words came to mind: ``Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." For me, this Beatitude, found in Matthew's Gospel, points directly to the spiritual truth, or purity, that wipes out vulgarity. And this insight helped me gain an improved concept of the wholesomeness I pray to see expressed in publicity.

Jesus taught that each of us is the spiritual idea of God, which certainly includes the godliness that immediately rejects evil suggestions. Spiritual-mindedness is actually natural to everyone because we are spiritual and our reason for being is to express God's allness and perfection. I realized that as a follower of Christ Jesus I must establish purity in my own thought and ac- knowledge purity as an attribute of God spiritually expressed in man. Then I could expect to see more purity expressed in the

promotion of causes.

One day I saw how practical these truths could be in my own experience. I walked into a nearby postal substation to be confronted by a blatantly suggestive statement in bold letters identifying a display. The slogan brought to mind the kind of sleazy, impure thoughts that deny Jesus' teachings about purity.

Jesus upheld purity in all his relationships because he understood that man is, in reality, spiritual, incapable of sin. Doing this didn't isolate him from society or cause people to reject him. On the contrary, his wholesome view of man's real being instilled in people--from tax collectors to adulterers--the desire to be pure, and so transformed their nature.

As I prayed from the standpoint of these Bible-based teachings, I knew I could trust God to show me how to have this affront to public thought removed without offending the person who had put up the display. She was a part-time postal clerk I knew slightly, and she had done many fine displays. The next time I went to get stamps, she was there and greeted me. As we chatted about publicity and the best way to promote products, she saw for herself the impact those words could have. She said: ``The next time

you come in they won't be there." The replacement was a sterling example of good publicity.

Cheapness and grossness are harmful, godless traits that are destructive to humanity's well-being. In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes: ``It is the spiritualization of thought and Christianization of daily life, in contrast with the results of the ghastly farce of material existence; it is chastity and purity, in contrast with the downward tendencies and earthward gravitation of sensualism and impurity, which really attest the divine origin and operation of Christian Science."

As we earnestly try to be ``pure in heart" and to see others as expressions of God's purity and truthfulness, we will help to establish a more universal standard that negates sensualism and impurity whether these appear in spoken or written form in local, national, or international affairs.

When our spiritual standpoint is God, is Truth and Love, we can contribute mightily to purity in publicity.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Purity in Publicity
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/1201/01171.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe