This Is Really Cool
by Will Walker
You are not going to believe this: John Mayer just became a Christian! He met Bono (U2) at a benefit last summer and has been in an ongoing conversation about faith since then. For whatever reason, he finally gave his life to Jesus within the last few weeks.
Not only that, but Madonna and David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey and every famous person in the world became a Christian, too. Plus, I am completely making all of this up. I do not know about the faith of anyone I just mentioned. But I have been wondering why most people (including me) get very excited when they hear that someone famous is or has become a Christian.
In college I was a groupie of this really cool band. They were not Christians, but they were cool. Recently one of them became a Christian and I have told everyone I know as if their life depends on knowing about it. Most of the people I tell act very surprised. I guess they thought someone like that was unreachable or didn’t need Christ.
Identifying ourselves with the good-looking people of the world makes us feel better about ourselves. We would be Christians no matter what, but we are affirmed in our faith when it gets a booster shot of coolness. Something about it being cool makes it feel truer.
A few clarifications at this juncture: Getting excited about famous people coming to Christ is not wrong. Getting less excited about not-famous conversions may be.
Jesus was no more amazed or excited when Paul came to faith than when one of the women who heard him preach on the hillside that one day believed. He is not looking for anyone to validate his existence. He is not hoping for a few good recruits and a better season next year. He knows who he is and where he came from.
You are not going to believe this: John Mayer just became a Christian! He met Bono (U2) at a benefit last summer and has been in an ongoing conversation about faith since then. For whatever reason, he finally gave his life to Jesus within the last few weeks.
Not only that, but Madonna and David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey and every famous person in the world became a Christian, too. Plus, I am completely making all of this up. I do not know about the faith of anyone I just mentioned. But I have been wondering why most people (including me) get very excited when they hear that someone famous is or has become a Christian.
In college I was a groupie of this really cool band. They were not Christians, but they were cool. Recently one of them became a Christian and I have told everyone I know as if their life depends on knowing about it. Most of the people I tell act very surprised. I guess they thought someone like that was unreachable or didn’t need Christ.
Identifying ourselves with the good-looking people of the world makes us feel better about ourselves. We would be Christians no matter what, but we are affirmed in our faith when it gets a booster shot of coolness. Something about it being cool makes it feel truer.
A few clarifications at this juncture: Getting excited about famous people coming to Christ is not wrong. Getting less excited about not-famous conversions may be.
Jesus was no more amazed or excited when Paul came to faith than when one of the women who heard him preach on the hillside that one day believed. He is not looking for anyone to validate his existence. He is not hoping for a few good recruits and a better season next year. He knows who he is and where he came from.
posted by Tyler Zach at 12:09 PM
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