Jennifer's text I was pondering on it. I went out to the shops and when I came back in. I went to my room lay on the bed and asked God for guidance. My new book was beside me on the bed so I opened it up randomly. It was Chapter 10. (Page 71-77). And I had to laugh when I read it.
IDEA: LET'S PUNCH BRANT IN THE FACE.
Maybe you know the feeling: Everyone's doing something you know is wrong, something you find so offensive, but you don't know how to convince them of just how wrong it is. You desperately need to let them know how wrong they are, and how right you are, and you need a means to make a convincing, well-thought-out, thought-provoking, logical argument.
But how? How can you do this? How can you properly impart your sweeping message of disapproval?
It's obvious: get an awesome T-shirt. I got one that said Smoking Stinks.
I had one of these as a kid. It had a picture of a cigarette with smoke coming out of it, and Smoking Stinks was written in cur- sive, which made it even fancier.
Most people in our little Illinois town smoked. But as a Christian, I knew smoking was evil, so it was great to final, have a shirt that so succinctly communicated my disapproval.
Look, it's simple, folks: You smoke? You stink. I don't smoke I don't stink
I win Questions?
Now what exactly, do I win? Nothing, as it turns out. But I was a kid, so I have to cut myself some slack. I was just doing what immature humans do, and that is thinking it's my job to put people in their place. I also thought it was my job to single handedly win souls for Christ," and when these souls saw my impressive purity and how I abstained from worldly things, like cigarettes, they'd say something like, "Wow! I want to be like you. Tell me about this Jesus' who claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of all prophecy, the hinge in the history of the universe, and who has inspired you to wear this Smoking Stinks T-shirt."
Just for the record: to date, exactly zero people have said that. But it's not too late.
Quick quiz! And this is a risky one, at least for me. I'm going to tell you a few things about myself, and then I'll ask you a ques tion at the end. So be ready for the question.
Unless you're a PK (preacher's kid) like me, all of these statements are likely true:
Over the course of my life, I, Brant Hansen, have likely cussed far less than you.
I probably exercise far more than you.
I am likely far more "discerning and conservative with my family's entertainment choices than you are. I've probably been drunk less than you. (Zero times, total, in my life.)
I've likely done drugs less than you. (Again, zero times.) I've possibly done more to help the poor than you I've probably been less promiscuous than you. (I was a
virgin when I got married and have never cheated) I've likely smoked less than you. And worn more antismoking shirts.
I probably have less debt than you, since I'm debt free.
I likely give away more of my money, and a higher
percentage, than you do.
I probably have less body fat than you, because I'm far more disciplined about eating good food than you are I've likely baptized more people than you have.
And now, here's the question, so be honest: How do you like me now?
A) I'm incredibly impressed, Brant. You're amazing. I want to hang out with someone as inspiringly clean-living as you.
B) Maybe you mean well, but I'd kinda like to punch you in the face.
C) There is no "kinda." I want to punch you in the face. D) Seriously, Brant. I'm coming to punch you in the face
Personally, I choose (C) because I want to punch myself in the face. Hard.
Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I doubt people will love God more because of my list of moral accomplishments. They more likely to be annoyed, and I don't blame them. Even worse, at least one person would probably think, Yep, Brant's morrally better than me. I'm a loser, just like I figured.
Great. You lost. What do I win?
Truth is-and this goes for secular "righteousness, too, like bragging about buying your own carbon offsets, or your sanctimonious bumper sticker-precious fastidiousness. As an example, I just saw an article about the "10 Most Annoying Gwyneth Paltrow Quotes of all time", all her own comments about how wonderfully pure her diet is. No one wants to hear that.
People are put off because our deepest, most heartfelt questions aren't "Is Brant a really pure person?" or, "Can Gwyneth somehow, some way, maintain her flat abs with the assistance of an entire team of chefs and fitness professionals?"
That's not what speaks to us. That's not our question. What we're really wondering, what everyone's really wondering, is simply this:
Does God really, truly, after all I've done... love me?
Not long ago, I stole about six hundred dollars' worth of stuff from a friend. He was a "friendly colleague," to be more accurate, a fellow radio professional who published a daily "show prep site. I knew him because we worked in the same town. 1 wara talk radio host who was well known for being a follower of Jesus. He was a successful host at a country station, in addition running his Internet business.
He invited me to lunch one day, along with the other people on his show, and we enjoyed talking. He told me he respected me as a radio pro, and the high regard was mutual. He wasn't partic larly into the "Jesus thing," but was very respectful of my beliefs. Soon after, I moved to Florida to work in Christian radio, and he sent me an e-mail, sad that I was leaving but wishing me well.
Radio people, especially morning shows, pay about fifty dol- lars a month to get fresh ideas, to read takes on current events, or to find out what happened on TV last night so they can talk about it and seem up-to-date. Not long after starting on my new morning show in Florida, someone gave me a password to a show prep site, one of the best sites in the industry. It was my friend's site.
I used the borrowed password for about a year. I felt guilty about it at first, but as I tend to do, I rationalized it. I didn't have the fifty dollars a month, and besides, it wasn't as if it was costing him anything if I used his material. Over time, I didn't even think about it. I just downloaded and printed out his daily report to use on my show.
Until, that is, one morning, as I printed it out, and, for what- ever reason, I suddenly felt another pang of guilt. It was during a show, about seven in the morning, when I sent it to the printer, and wondered,
As I was thinking that-not kidding, here-an e-mail pinged into my box, from him. The subject line read simply "What's going on?" I felt sick.
He did know. He knew I was ripping him off. I was the Christian headcaster he actually respected, and whis stuff.
I could barely get through the show. I didn't have thing to say on the air, nothing funny, nothing at all. I did how I was to handle this, but I knew I had to call him and apol gize. I owed him six hundred dollars, and money was tighs, 1 thought about having to explain that to my wife, when we had almost nothing in the bank.
So I stared at the phone for a while, and then I called him. I told him I was so sorry. And I told him I knew the irony of Christian Broadcaster Guy stealing from Secular Broadcaster Guy, and how I was embarrassed and at his mercy. I would pay him his six hundred dollars immediately.
He was amazingly graceful. He said we've all done things that we're embarrassed about. He told me he accepted my apology. and I should forget about it, and that he still respected me. (By the way, he told me that he hadn't known I was stealing his stuff he just e-mailed to tell me he missed hearing me on the radio)
He forgave me.
Truth is, while my sin is embarrassing, he's a smart guy, and he already knew I was a sinner. In fact, everyone who knows me does, even if I've never personally stolen anything from them. I I think I can put one over on people and convince them that I've got my act together, the only one I'm fooling is me.
And the same goes with you. If you think people are drawn to you by an impressive religious résumé, you're in for shock. When people are in crisis or need to know that God loves them, that they are not alone, they don't seek out the guy who thinks he is Mr. Answer or who radiates superiority and disapproval. They want someone who loves God and who loves them.
Refusing to be offended by others is a powerful door opener to actual relationships. I don't expect people who aren't belie ers to act like followers of lesus. Why should they? How about 1 give up the sanctimonious act and just change their moral behavior?
Refusing to be offended by others is a powerful door opener to actual relationships.
Why not leave that to God? He's still changing my own behaviour, after all. Again, it's simple humility. I know God wants my heart and wants their hearts. He wants us to turn away from ourselves and turn to Him. He can handle the rest. He loves them even more than I do.
At some level, of course, I enjoy trying to control the behavior of others.
Only problem: I can't even fully control me.
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