As many of you may know, I do some part time work at the PA Farmshow Complex in Harrisburg in the security department. I recently spent eight days working the largest show of the year. For thirteen hours a day I was immersed in "the world". It was a rather "raw" experience for me...so different from the culture of the church world.
How do you respond to people who seem to think that every word either begins or ends with the f-word ??? How do you respond to being flashed by a woman thankful that I gave her a parking spot??? (Its true...it really did happen!) How do you relate to rodeo cowboys so hung over from partying that they could hardly function??? Do you laugh at the extremely vulgar (and extremely funny) jokes??
It would be easy to retreat into a world of the church culture...it seems safer there. Yet I also realized that Jesus seemed to relate to notorious sinners comfortably (see Matthew 9:10-13). My question is this - How did Jesus respond to vulgar jokes, foul language and inappropriate displays of skin?
As church-goers, we often are quick to rebuke the notorious sinners...Yet Jesus' sternest rebukes were not for the notorious sinners but for those in the religious circles (See Matthew 23). When Jesus was confronted with a woman caught in adultery, He chose not to condemn (See John 8:1-11). He didn't even lecture her on the evils of her lifestyle...He didn't quote the law in an attempt to make her see her wrong. He simply instructed her to not sin any more. So my inclination to condemn the "wicked" probably is not the way of Christ.
I am convinced that there is no formula for relating to pagans. Yet that leaves me rather uncomfortable...do I join their party when invited? Do I say nothing to confront the blatant sin??? Perhaps the answer is to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit...yet that seems to be a rather vague answer.
This I do know - the world I experienced the past week was the same world that Jesus engaged. He didn't seem to shy away from the ugliness of it...He didn't seem to be put off by the "raw-ness" of it. He was in it but not of it...God help me do the same.
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Great thought process Glen! Empire Kosher was like this on a daily basis... I learned a lot about interacting with the un-reservedly unsaved. Unfortunately, most of what I learned was as a result of having said or done something that shut someone down and blew any opportunity to positively influence. One of the things that helped change my religious perspective was to realize that sin is the nature of the unsaved. That is what they know, so that is what they live. For me to be offended by or irritated at them for their ungodly behavior is stupid on my part. What else would I expect before the Holy Spirit gets there?
The question of how to handle dirty jokes, gossip, or just plain negativity among the pre-saved is a grey area other than like you said, hearing from the Spirit. I can't figure out where being all things to all people for the sake of building relationship becomes a compromise of my beliefs and personal standards. When you figure that out, please let me know.
we often end up saying or doing stupid things that shut the door for us to be "the word in flesh" to people. I must confess however, I often feel like I am not doing enough.
On the other hand maybe that puts the focus on me, not the Holy Spirit
I LOVE to hear church people question their thoughts and attitudes towards the unsaved.I get so tired of the focus being on the sins of people who don't know any better, rather than the fact that we are supposed to be making a difference.I've been hearing a lot about signs and wonders lately, and God using us to heal people. That's great, but not if that is all we're seeking. I believe the presence of God changes people.I work with the "pagans" every day, and if I have to depend on my words and actions to change them, I had better quit now.All I know to do is desperately seek God.Beg Him to completely consume me in His presence. I don't think you can be in the presence of God and not be changed.It's not about what I need to do to change people, it's about desperately wanting God to change me. To make me more like Him. If all of us walked through this life completly saturated in His presence, His presence would surely cover the earth...we would be His glory, and the world would be changed. The "pagans" aren't the problem, Glen
I, too, have been questioning the way I respond to unsaved people. I have been studying the book of John and began to realize that Jesus did not come "to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." (John 3:17 The Message) I have been asking myself what does it look like to put the world right again.
I have also struggled with how to live in the world yet not be a part of it. Paul instructed us to live so as not to offend our neighbor. I can't remember the exact scripture but he was talking about unclean foods. Basically he said all food is good because it comes from God, but if, by eating something, it would cause your neighbor to stumble, then don't eat it. So I am wondering, does the same principle apply here? And how, or at what point, can we take it too far?
I am learning that no matter what the answer, love has to be the bottom line. As I continue to seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit I Pray he will show me how to love as Jesus loved and maybe then I will begin to know how to live and respond to those around me.
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