Scream VI

I was describing my job to a friend the other day. After listening to my explanation, he said, "Dude, you're a nanny."

I laughed.

It's true. My part-time secular job does qualify me as a nanny. I'm responsible for cleaning my employer's home, doing the laundry, keeping the house organized, watching the kids after school, chauffeuring, etc. I am a male Nanny.

That being said, this past week I was escorting one of my boss's kids home from hockey practice. It was getting dark, and we were driving in the back seat of an Uber.

Now, what some Ubers do, is they strap a tablet to the back of the passenger seat headrest, allowing passengers in the rear to play games while they ride. When we got into the car, the boy that I was escorting (about seven years old) saw the tablet and yelled, "I want to sit on this side!"

He wanted to play games.

I obliged. We started to drive, and the boy began to play on the tablet. He chose a trivia game.

Now these tablets, they come with a catch. Every so often, in order to continue playing, you have to sit through a thirty second commercial.

So after playing trivia for a few minutes, a commercial appeared on screen. It was a commercial for a movie set to release in theatres. A horror film called Scream VI. The gist: a masked murderer goes around killing people with a knife.

I was familiar with the film, so when the commercial appeared, I turned my eyes. But I glanced over in the middle, and it pained me to see the little boy's eyes glued to the screen.

Finally, the commercial ended, and the boy went back to playing his trivia. But several minutes later, the same commercial appeared on screen.

Our ride from the hockey arena to the boy's home took about thirty minutes. During that time, the commercial for the horror film played five times. By the fifth time the commercial appeared, the boy closed his eyes and said, "Let me know when it's over. This commercial is creepy."

During those thirty minutes, I couldn’t help but think about my own son, Michael. I pictured my son - four years old - sitting through that same commercial five times in a row, soaking in those violent images, having them engrained into his memory. For me, that car ride served as a reminder: I need to be vigilant as a parent, now more than ever.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Unfortunately, we live in a corrupt work. Evil lurks around every corner. We need to do our best to protect our children, yes physically, but also spiritually.

Ephesians 6:4

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.