"The sheep will know the Master's voice."
I've written a little about the fact that I'm not an evangelist. I have done some marketing in my day, but never in a way that asked someone to buy something they don't need or won't benefit from. I can't sell medical billing software to a tanning salon, but I do (well, did) have a knack for showing a medical office how my software can help them accomplish their goals and mandates, and do it cost effectively, and that I'm the right guy to help with that process.
I was totally bored at church yesterday, and my thoughts wandered around how Christianity is marketed the world over. I'd like to say it is always well intentioned, like I sold medical software, I'd like to say that whatever weirdness is found in Christian evangelistic circles is at least passionate insanity, not filled with hidden agendas or ulterior motives. A dumb-ass in Jesus' name is still just a dumb-ass.
Overall, I don't think much of marketing Christ anyway. I think that the relationship between Christ and his people is more like my attraction to smart, pretty guys with a plan and a vision. I don't think any amount of marketing will make me pay for something I don't want to buy. In the past, the Church has resorted to coercion, intimidation and corruption to get converts to Christ. I think this is not only counter intuitive and immoral, it's totally ineffective.
As a Christian, my role is to live my life openly, in a way that others can see how I think, act, react and make decisions, not stand on a street corner yelling at people to repent or face certain doom. Some people will look closer than others, and some will be attracted to the impact of Christ in my life and some will be repulsed. It doesn't really change me or how I should present myself - and Christ in me. Sometimes, I do this well. And it's hard so I'm allowed to make mistakes.
So yesterday, I wondered how I would present Christ. I've seen how others do it. Baptists contend that all men are evil and only Christ can save us from the ultimate consequences of that evil. In Central America and other places where people are oppressed by political and economic conditions, Christ is Liberator. In people groups victimized by social injustice, Christ is Healer of the damage caused to us individually and Advocate in the culture overall. To the poor, he is Provider. To the weak, he is Mighty Shield. And all of these are basically true, and each of these is subject to error and fraud by the presenters.
So, just because I have a blog and just because I find the subject interesting at present and just because I've never really done it before, I'm going to give this presentation of Christ thing a try from my perspective. I'm not really going to try to sell him to anyone, just to present what I see in Christianity and in the character of Christ that I think makes the Christian story irresistible and valuable.
People who know me already know that the discussion is going to revolve around destiny, significance, intention, purpose, preparation and each human being's intrinsic value in a universal and eternal context. Hopefully, most will already know that my presentation will not involve judgment or condemnation, although Christ is (in my opinion) the exact polar opposite of life in the Abyss where nothing matters except my good time tonight.
It may take me a few days to pull my thoughts together around this subject, but stay tuned for the Gospel According To Mr. Happy. I'm going to give it a shot.