Karl Harmdierks (guest columnist)

When I was in high school, I was in a one-act play that reached the state finals. Our last competition started at 9:00 p.m. on Friday evening. As a Sabbath-keeper, I wasn’t able to participate. “Can’t you miss church once?” one girl from our cast asked me, casually adding, “God would understand.”

Most of us have been asked the question, “Can you do me a favor?” We commonly reply, “Sure,” right before being confronted with a task we are not able or, frankly, willing to do. In today’s society, we often do not give such an exchange a second thought, even though in that moment we have given our word and broken it.

When I was in high school, I was in a one-act play that reached the state finals. Our last competition started at 9:00 p.m.—on Friday evening. As a Sabbath-keeper, I wasn’t able to participate. One girl from our cast asked me, “Can’t you miss church once?” She casually added, “God would understand.”

Recently, the pop culture society has been super-charged by the upcoming latest installment of the Twilight movies – movies centered on the romance of a girl and a vampire.  As I write this, hundreds of thousands of movie-goers flocked to the theaters to see the very first midnight showing. The Los Angeles Times reported that this movie broke the single day ticket sales records, and it is expected to be among the five top-grossing weekends overall.  Even a local fast-food restaurant gave me my food in a bag advertising the movie, encouraging me to "devour" my meal.