Many people record their favorite TV shows on a DVR and take great delight in fast-forwarding through the commercials. Technology is a wonderful thing!
Strange as it may seem, I like TV commercials… well most of them. Some are just plain obnoxious, relying on the “you-may-hate-it-but-you’ll-remember-it” factor—like the expectorant commercial featuring raspy-voiced mucous monsters having a party in my lungs. (I do admit the name of the nightclub is clever: “The Cougha Cabana.”) That commercial is only one more reason we long for the end of cold and flu season.
I am fascinated by the clever writing and elaborate production invested in TV commercials. A current favorite of mine is the auto insurance ad in which Grandma magically appears in the desert to answer a stranded family’s call for help. A little boy squints through thick lens, his face lighting up when he recognizes his grandmother. “Hi, Grandma! Hey, Dad, look who it is!” I can’t help but smile each time it plays. Everyone in that commercial nails their role perfectly, right down to the avocado wall phone mounted on 70’s-gold fruit striped wall paper that accompanies Grandma to the accident scene. It just makes me laugh.
My fascination with TV commercials is twofold: first, I like the entertainment value they offer and secondly—more importantly—I am blown away by how effectively they communicate incredible amounts of information in just 30 seconds. More than the words they use or the claims they put forth, they create a message and a mood that sways the consumer. National brands are willing to spend millions of dollars for a single 30-second spot. According to media valuation firm Kantar Media, advertisers will spend an average of $3.5 million for every 30 second commercial spot during Super Bowl XLVII. That’s not the price of making the commercial, that’s just the cost to put it on the air!
Effective communication becomes exponentially more difficult as the delivery time shortens. As a pastor, I work very hard at communicating. Several times each week, busy people look at me expectantly, hoping to be informed, motivated and encouraged in spiritual matters. I find it difficult to communicate information in 30 minutes, let alone 30 seconds! It takes longer than 30 seconds to arrange my notes on the podium! I don’t think I could make it in TV commercials.
This is why I get excited when the Lord whispers information directly into my spirit. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t hear voices, but I do sense times when the Spirit of God seems to download information directly into my heart. It’s most common when I’m reading His bestseller, the Bible. Much more effective than any 30-second TV spot, the Bible is able to speak volumes in the twinkling of an eye. Because the Bible is written by the Spirit of God, it’s common for people of faith to experience “light bulb” moments while reading it—it comes alive! For centuries, the Bible has proven to effectively communicate powerful truths in less time than the cleverest commercial ever made.
Listen as Jesus speaks about this phenomenon: “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’ Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Matthew 4:4; Luke 11:28 GNB).