Filtered or Unfiltered?

Sitting on the ledge of our refrigerator door is a Brita Pitcher. For those unfamiliar with that, it’s basically a plastic container that has a fancy filter for purifying tap water, and said filter must be replaced when it wears out. Having now had the thing for over nine years, I have replaced the filter many times. At first, the individual filter box said that they lasted for 3 months, and it even came with a little static-cling “sticker” that you put on the pitcher to remind you when to replace the used filter.

Somewhere along the line, they decided that the filters were really only good for two months, making you have to change the thing more often. Since you’re buying these in the store, my cynical side kicked in and led me to believe that they really would last three months, but they can sell more this way.

I don’t suppose I’m bothered by that as much as I am with a discovery I’ve made with the last two or three new filters. It has always been the case that Brita recommends that you run at least two pitchers of water through the filter without drinking them, and in an ever so environmentally friendly way, go and water plants with it, because it’s still perfectly good water--just not for drinking.

It even tells you that it is normal for one or two black particles from the filter to escape into the drinking water reservoir. However, what I have begun seeing is that within a week or two of using the new filter, HUNDREDS of little black particles are escaping and ending up in the drinking water. They sink to the bottom, so if you’re careful, you can avoid them, and then dump that water (or use it for plants, apparently), rinse out the pitcher, and then refil the thing again. That seems like an awful lot of work, and terribly dirty water for something that’s supposed to filter it and even purify it.

I’m on a Brita boycott. I just drink from the tap now. Yes, it’s ridiculous to some, but if I’m going through all of that, I’d rather just turn on the faucet and run water over my ice and be well into drinking a second glass before I could even go through the whole “dump the not so pure purified water, rinse out the pitcher, refill the upper container, and wait three minutes for not-so-clean-but-okay-for-plants-purified water to be ready to pour. Is it just me?

Okay, so here’s the point. What good is a filter if it doesn’t work the way it’s designed to work? If air filters in the house didn’t catch as much dust and debris as they do, how much worse would allergies be? If oil filters didn’t catch some of the impurities and grime before sending it through your engine, how long before they tore up the pistons and killed your car?

There are thousands of impurities in this world, and many of them get into our lives whether we want them or not. I’m not just talking about water, air, and oil now. Sure, we have sunglasses that filter out UVA and UVB light that can damage our eyes, but what about the filth and grime to which we are exposed on TV, movies, or even on the streets as we drive to the store? (For those that argue we could just turn off the TV, etc.)

Just because my windows are closed in my car, doesn’t mean that the children in the back are completely filtered from the fellow driver who chooses to listen to profanity-laced music very loudly with his windows down, making it very clearly audible in my vehicle.

It used to be that there was a filter of “common decency” or “common courtesy” that existed. I’m not that old, but I know things have gotten worse even since I was in high school. I truly believe that in this world of selfish rights and privileges, that the “do whatever you want whenever you want” philosophy has hit a bloated point of negative returns. Being free to do something and following through does many times, in fact, infringe upon someone else’s right to NOT have that same experience.

I realize that not everyone adheres to the same values I do. I accept that. Not everyone chooses to do their best to pass every thought, action, or word that comes from them through the filter of “is this a demonstration of truly loving God and loving others as Jesus said.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Oh, I’m not perfect. My label clearly says that it is normal for one or two black particles to slip through my filter and into life. But I am trying, and I know that there are many others who are.

Until that day comes when most people are trying to filter out those damaging impurities, I guess it’s up to those that do choose to live that way to hold fast, and continue to do our best to set a good example. Once people have the opportunity to try this living water that can flow from us, they might just find that it is much better than the worldly well from which they’ve been drinking.