In Chris Kyle’s book, American Sniper, he shares of seeing evil first hand in the hands of a woman carrying an armed grenade on the streets of Iraq moving toward the Marine presence before her. She was his first sniper kill, one that saved many of those Marine lives. I am drawn into Chris Kyle’s story at the moment, his choice-his passion-his purpose, to fight against evil.  It is resonating with me greatly as I have been engulfed in reading Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy, and the Longings of a Woman’s Heart by Dr. Juli Slattery & Dannah K. Gresh. It is a valuable tool, giving insight into the dangers of the Shades of Grey series of books and the increased interest in the erotica genre.

I have thought of Facebook status post after post to make over the last couple of days.  So much I want to say.  But I have said nothing.  I am not quite sure why.  Perhaps I don’t wish to offend.  Possibly I don’t wish to stir controversy. Really, honestly, I don’t believe it is either of those but it is that I know that the best thing I have to say right now is, “If you have read the Shades series or intend to, please take time to read the book by Slattery and Gresh and thoughtfully, prayerfully consider what YOU think about it.”

Years ago I was out of state visiting my dear girlfriend of many years.  We were shopping and I spotted a set of monkeys…you know the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” ones?  I remarked that I had always wanted a set but had not found just the right ones. These were not the right ones. It is wonderful having a girlfriend who knows you. Months later, much to my surprise, I received a package in the mail…my monkeys!  They were fabulous. They were perfect.  These facts plus that my friend had stored that request in her thoughts and bestowed them upon me when she found what she knew would be the “right ones” were a delight.  They sit prominently in my home and have served as daily reminders to me and lessons for my children.

I have thought of those monkeys many times over the last couple of days, especially the one with his eyes covered.  On February 12, women will flock to theaters to see Shades of Grey. Some with great desire to see the movie, others with curiosity, and many with ignorance of what they are about to view.   “Be careful little eyes what you see” would be my message to these women.  My heart’s desire would be to play the hero, to save them from exposing themselves to scenes that were only ever meant to be played out in one’s private bedroom and others that were never meant to be played out at all.  I understand Chris Kyle’s heart, to save his fellow man.

My one takeaway from Slattery and Gresh’s book that I know I am to share is that for those women who believe cozying up on the couch with her cup of coffee and her copy of Shades of Grey is perfectly okay, then may she give time to consider that her man parking himself in front of his laptop with a cold drink and a series of pornographic images is equally okay.  Erotica is to women what pornography is to men, plain and simple.  They are each destructive forces that undermine true intimacy by leaving visual memories in one’s mind that will creep back in and distort what was meant to be wonderful.  That is what evil does.