Taboo! [Part 1]
28.04.08 14:17 Filed in: Leadership
Have you ever played the game Taboo?
"The object of the game is for a player to have their partner(s) guess the word on their card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card." --Wikipedia
It's pretty challenging to try to have to say what you're saying without saying it. (Did you catch that?) We do this a lot as Christians. We try to explain what we believe but stay away from what we consider "taboo". Let me give you an example: Yesterday I was riding with my friend Aaron Bettencourt and we came to what would be a busy intersection in our city. Across the street from us was a group holding a banner with the name of their church. They were red-faced and yelling at the top of their lungs about sin and hell and waiving their Bibles frantically in the air. They had a large banner with a picture of an aborted baby... abortion is murder... and of course what would any street corner "preacher" be without a sign that says, "Heaven or Hell, you choose."
What goes through your head when you run into situations like that? I have to be honest. It bothered me a lot.
But here's the kicker, I can sort of relate. See, I was the lunch table kid. The kid who at the end of my senior year stood on a lunch table and preached. I know what it's like to have this burning message inside of you that you just want to get out. I know what it's like to be so passionate for God that you make rash decisions that you thought would make a difference and they end up doing more harm than good. Some people stand on their lunch tables (or street corners) because they don't know better. Some because that's the best they could come up with. Others because they have been taught that evangelism has nothing to do with relationship.
But I didn’t know any better. I was just this passionate kid who wanted everyone to know about Jesus. The difference was I had lived it for years before I ever stood on a lunch table. My message wasn’t a you’re all going to hell experience, rather it was about how my life had changed. It took guts. It was ineffective. But it took guts. Once I had some more wisdom under my belt, I would get frustrated coming into contact with situations and individuals who are the street corner evangelists. I wasn’t frustrated at them personally, I was frustrated about the message of you’re all going to hell.
Do I agree that abortion is murder? YES
But will I say that at the cost of individuals who have had an abortion without any explanation or expression of love? NO.
They came across with this self-righteous, I know more than you, I’m better than you, yet I’m dressed for the 1920’s attitude.
LET ME BE REALLY HONEST... IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE FOR JESUS, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE FUN OF OR CRITIQUE OTHERS WHO DO. REGARDLESS OF THEIR METHODS.
They may make mistakes, but at least they’re trying. At least they’re not hiding behind the guise of we just need to live it out and we never really do. Living it out, means living on purpose. It means you have ulterior motives to your life. (Those motives are positive for His gain, not manipulative for our own.)
I saw these individuals and here’s what I noticed in my heart...
I was frustrated at them.
THAT SCARED ME ONCE I REALIZED IT.
Before I was frustrated at their presentation of the message. And how it would turn off more people than it would help. But this time I was frustrated at them. I was sitting with Aaron in his brother Zach’s truck and I had to stop and think, Craig, have you forgotten what it means to reach people?
The bottom line is many of us, consider it TABOO to hold up signs saying you’re going to hell... yet we don’t live our lives on purpose so our friends, family, students, etc don’t go there.
"The object of the game is for a player to have their partner(s) guess the word on their card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card." --Wikipedia
It's pretty challenging to try to have to say what you're saying without saying it. (Did you catch that?) We do this a lot as Christians. We try to explain what we believe but stay away from what we consider "taboo". Let me give you an example: Yesterday I was riding with my friend Aaron Bettencourt and we came to what would be a busy intersection in our city. Across the street from us was a group holding a banner with the name of their church. They were red-faced and yelling at the top of their lungs about sin and hell and waiving their Bibles frantically in the air. They had a large banner with a picture of an aborted baby... abortion is murder... and of course what would any street corner "preacher" be without a sign that says, "Heaven or Hell, you choose."
What goes through your head when you run into situations like that? I have to be honest. It bothered me a lot.
But here's the kicker, I can sort of relate. See, I was the lunch table kid. The kid who at the end of my senior year stood on a lunch table and preached. I know what it's like to have this burning message inside of you that you just want to get out. I know what it's like to be so passionate for God that you make rash decisions that you thought would make a difference and they end up doing more harm than good. Some people stand on their lunch tables (or street corners) because they don't know better. Some because that's the best they could come up with. Others because they have been taught that evangelism has nothing to do with relationship.
But I didn’t know any better. I was just this passionate kid who wanted everyone to know about Jesus. The difference was I had lived it for years before I ever stood on a lunch table. My message wasn’t a you’re all going to hell experience, rather it was about how my life had changed. It took guts. It was ineffective. But it took guts. Once I had some more wisdom under my belt, I would get frustrated coming into contact with situations and individuals who are the street corner evangelists. I wasn’t frustrated at them personally, I was frustrated about the message of you’re all going to hell.
Do I agree that abortion is murder? YES
But will I say that at the cost of individuals who have had an abortion without any explanation or expression of love? NO.
They came across with this self-righteous, I know more than you, I’m better than you, yet I’m dressed for the 1920’s attitude.
LET ME BE REALLY HONEST... IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE FOR JESUS, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE FUN OF OR CRITIQUE OTHERS WHO DO. REGARDLESS OF THEIR METHODS.
They may make mistakes, but at least they’re trying. At least they’re not hiding behind the guise of we just need to live it out and we never really do. Living it out, means living on purpose. It means you have ulterior motives to your life. (Those motives are positive for His gain, not manipulative for our own.)
I saw these individuals and here’s what I noticed in my heart...
I was frustrated at them.
THAT SCARED ME ONCE I REALIZED IT.
Before I was frustrated at their presentation of the message. And how it would turn off more people than it would help. But this time I was frustrated at them. I was sitting with Aaron in his brother Zach’s truck and I had to stop and think, Craig, have you forgotten what it means to reach people?
The bottom line is many of us, consider it TABOO to hold up signs saying you’re going to hell... yet we don’t live our lives on purpose so our friends, family, students, etc don’t go there.
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