I was three years old when the iconic “Hilltop” ad came out. I remember being enthralled with it — who wouldn’t be? It was a catchy tune with a warm, uplifting message; a scene filled with pretty, joyful young people from all over the world, harmonizing about honey bees and turtle doves and everyone’s favorite fizzy drink: Coca-Cola.
I was reminded of it, sadly, when I viewed the video footage released by the IDF from the bodycam of a first responder arriving on the scene of the Nova music festival October 7, to find the havoc wreaked by Hamas terrorists who mowed down over 250 young people as they danced and sang and celebrated life.
One of the scenes centered around a beverage tent where dozens of bodies lay strewn about next to multiple Coca-Cola coolers — a jarring contrast, to say the least.
The cynics among us will roll their eyes over the idealism — maybe outright naïveté — of the 1971 ode to youth and diversity and capitalism. And they wouldn’t be wrong, at least not in recognizing that the world’s a far darker and more dangerous place than we saw on that peaceful hilltop — one of jangling discord rather than perfect harmony.
But I was reminded today not to let that darkness cloud my view of God’s promise. So I won’t.
And I won’t apologize for the fact that I’d still like to buy the world a Coke.
