The Miley Cyrus Question

So tell me, did you see Miley Cyrus at the MTV VMAs?  Shocked?  Saddened?  Did you wonder the same thing I did: Where did Hannah Montana go?  As I’ve read reviews and tweets and reactions to Miley’s “performance” I’m interested in hearing where you stand on how we as parents are to react to this.

One article I read said, “After Miley raunched up MTV's Video Music Awards, Billy Ray offered similar support: "She's still my little girl and I'm still her dad regardless how this circus we call show business plays out. I love her unconditionally and that will never change." 

That’s nice, Billy Ray, I’m glad to see that you love your daughter.  I hope that never changes, but what happened to sharing with your daughter what’s right and wrong.  That’s real love!  It’s a privilege and a responsibility for us as parents to help our children figure out how to make good choices.  What happened to teaching your daughter about modesty?  That’s real love!  What happened to teaching your daughter that she is valuable not because of how she looks but because of how God made her?  That’s real love!

Pop culture and celebrities are always pushing the envelope of what is considered culturally acceptable.  And whether we like it or not, our children are exposed to it.  We may not have it on in our homes.  But guaranteed our children talk about it at school and elsewhere.  Do we remain silent?  If not, then how do we talk to our kids about this?

God’s command to parents is clear: “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).  I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing about 14 year-old girls starving themselves to try to fit an image that our culture projects as acceptable.  I’m tired of hearing about young men treating young women like pieces of meat.  I’m tired of our culture influencing our children to be what they’re not supposed to be!  

It’s time for us as parents to step up!  It’s time to share with our kids that our value is found in Jesus, not how we look or how well we perform.  It’s time to share with our kids that for the times we do screw it up, like Miley did, that we are forgiven and loved children of our heavenly Father.  It’s time to share with our kids that even though we’re forgiven, our sinful choices do have consequences.  It’s time to share with our kids that God wants us live for Jesus, because He first lived and died and rose again for us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).  So when the Miley Cyrus question comes up, what do we say to our kids?  I would like your feedback.  We can’t be silent.

-Chris Johnson, Outreach and Young Adult Pastor