11.01.07

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. - 1 Timothy 6:6-11.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. - Galatians 6:2-3.

In Las Vegas, there is a new deal in town. No, it is not in a casino instead this unique for life deal is to be found at a tire showroom. Dunlop Tires is offering a lifetime deal or is it a deal of a lifetime? You decide. Dunlop Tires is offering four free new tires and all you have to do is sell your soul. Well, it is not quite that bad - you just have to let them tattoo your body with either the Dunlop logo or the tire tread pattern. No word about where the tattoo is to be placed on the body. You would think that the tattoo would have to be in a visible location as in on your forehead, on your neck, or arms - but I am just guessing. Officials for the company say the line starts at 8am and they expect to tattoo 20 people a day, which is all their tattoo artists can handle at the present time.

Something is wrong with this and I have been trying to understand what it is that is wrong. Is it wrong for someone to do what is necessary so that their family will have transportation to and from work and school? I have worked at some jobs that were far from pleasant and were in fact dangerous because I had to provide for my family. Would I have gotten a tattoo on my neck or my arm or my forehead to take better care of my family? It would have depended upon how desperate the situation. Many people have teeth pulled when if there had been enough money they could have had crowns put on them, or had a root canal and saved them. Many people do not go to a doctor and receive the medical care that they so very much need because the family comes first.

It may be that what is wrong here is not so much that someone is willing to have a tattoo put on their body for some tires but instead it is a warped sense of corporate responsibility. The corporation, Dunlop Tires, in this situation sees the instant media attention that is possible through this stunt. Are they considering the individuals that are receiving the tattoos? No, they could care less. The corporation it appears just wants some free advertising dollars or cheap advertising dollars because they are giving away some tires. Greed and a lack of concern for people, is the problem here. A lack of compassion. A lack of decency. A lack of caring about what anyone may think.

It is sad that it has come to this point in this society because the corporation could have still had their cheap advertising dollars without resorting to this type of grandstanding, this type of devaluing of human dignity. Instead of all of this they could have given away, twenty sets of tires for a week or two weeks to families in need. Perhaps even better would have been a donation of the approximate value of the advertising that they would receive, a donation to a homeless shelter, or to others that are hurting and in great need. Maybe they could have given some jobs to people that are qualified but have great needs like a single mother with five children who is handicapped. Maybe they could have done something like that. The current state of corporate responsibility, at least for one corporation that I know of, appears to be…sickening.

In the words of the apostle Paul, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”