the    sides

Donald Miller speaks as he writes – he’s humble, funny, pointed, insightful, and authentic. Somehow he was able to make me feel like I was sitting across a table from him drinking a coffee as opposed to in arena of 8,000 others.

1925 – Scopes Monkey Trial, church lost and our response was and still is “We are taking our ball and going home since you won’t validate our beliefs.�

Since then a growing subculture of Christianity. It is now possible to be born in a Christian family, go to Christian school, then a Christian college, then a Christian Doctorate, then go back to teach in a Christian college.

We have Christian movies, music, publishing companies. We even have Christian fast food – Chick-fil-A (and that is good). It’s possible to live your entire life and never meet anyone any different than you are, and never interact with a non-believer.

And we’ll be fooled into thinking that the culture exists to validate our beliefs…

Moving to Oregon where there are 3 believers, Reed College culture – incredibly anti-Christ. It required some paradigm shifts for me – a believer.

So…. 13 Paradigm shifts that had to happen before I was ready to introduce someone to Jesus. Only going to get to a couple of them.

1. Other people exist.
2. AND they are more important than you.

Somehow I think we’ve forgotten that the story is about God, He’s writing it and we are in it – but we aren’t the point of it.

I used to think that life and the world existed because they were filming a movie about my life and I needed the bit actors and oxygen for it to work.

3. Nobody will listen to you unless they know you like them.

I find it interesting that Jesus came to save, not condemn left his disciples to love on people, and part of the Spirit’s gig was to convict. You know how freeing that is? I don’t have to convict the world of sin.

4. Unless they understand that God loves them, they aren’t going to listen.

No other religious system brings hope and healing or relationship other than Jesus. It’s the only system that is about redeeming.

Donald Miller told the story of an interview he had. He was asked to defend Christianity. His answer was nothing short of remarkeable…

“No. I’m not going to defend that word. It was originally a derogatory word and it has no meaning. Some taxi driver listening to this was abused by a “Christian� and Muslim see all of America as Christian and immoral. Christian means one thing to one person and something completely different to another.

So no – I’m not going to defend the word or even define it. BUT I’d love to talk with you about Jesus and my relationship with him. AND I can tell this – Jesus wants me to tell you that he loves you.�

The radio interviewer was stunned…grabbed Donald for dinner that night.

Our job is to bring Jesus to the wound. Quit the us vs. them language and just get Jesus to the wound.