What I said to the fellow with the T-Shirt

It certainly has been interesting seeing the response from the t-shirt story blog entry. I think it shows the way the Christian sub-culture and more extreme thinking of how to express faith and belief is clashing with most of us in our passion for Jesus, but not expressing it in the way the t-shirt did.

Here's what my response was. As I saw the fellow in the airport my whole body felt flushed. It might have been adrenalin as I couldn't believe what I was reading on his shirt (see previous post for what the shirt was). My reaction first was at the way the t-shirt seemed to manipulate the text on the front making it look like it was saying "Jesus said.... INTOLERANT". I felt that was very inappropriate to do that and for those don't know what Jesus said, they may not know any different. So that was my initial feeling of frustration with the shirt. I wanted to tell the guy that I felt it was wrong to misrepresent the words of Jesus like that for a reaction. The shirt I posted here "Jesus loves you (and I'm trying)" is basically how I felt when I was there in the airport and saw him wearing his t-shirt. If I was to respond to his t-shirt with another t-shirt when I saw him and went over to talk with him, it probably would have been this one (although I don't own that one and I rarely ever wear any t-shirts that are "Christian").

I watched the guy wearing the shirt make his way into the line to get on the plane. It was a packed plane so the line went really slow. As we entered into the corridor going into the plane, I could see virtually everyone looking at the shirt as it was so obvious. About three or four times I began moving toward the guy, and rehearsing in my head what I would say. But I kept blanking out on what to say and stopped. Should I confront him? But that would most likely only fuel his feeling that he is right and he is being a soldier for Jesus with these causes and I was the enemy. I felt that he would only be more affirmed if I confronted him about it. Do I gently ask him if he thinks the shirt is effective? But that would be obvious I was only feeding him my opinion through a question.

When we got on the plane, he sat down on an aisle seat and I stopped there and said hello. I then said "I can't help but notice your shirt. Are you a Christian?" and he smiled really big and said "I am sure am!". He said he was just at an event that he got the shirt at. He said the conference was something about abortion but didn't say the name. I later looked it up on-line and found the shirt was from the "Operation America" organization that was also the "Operation Rescue" organization. It looks like they have extended their mission from abortion to those other things by adding the "America" part. to their name. Now I am very pro-life, so this is not anything about not being pro-life, but I find it odd and wrong that the abortion issue is now being thrown in with Islam and homosexuality for this shirt.

I asked him what kind of church he was from. He said "a Bible preaching Bible church" (I think those were his exact words). He was very friendly, he was smiling as he talked. He then said "Are you a Christian?" and I said, yes I am. He said "Praise God!" And then I said very gently  "I wouldn't be wearing that shirt though - I think it repels people from the message rather than draws people to Jesus." He then kept smiling and said "Well, we can't hide the truth and if one person repents as a result of this shirt it is worth it." My adrenalin began flowing again and I said "Have you ever known someone to repent as a result of the shirt?" He said "No, but that's the Holy Spirit's job. Our job is to get the message out there."

At this time, I was now blocking people behind me in the plane from going past in the aisle, so I had to end the conversation. I just said "Thanks for talking" and moved on to my seat.

When I sat down, I was wondering if I should go back to him and talk again after the plane took off. But I ended up thinking me standing in the aisle talking to him, with other people listening wouldn't be too great and also I doubt in this situation I was going to change his mind about the shirt.

His words of "we can't hide the truth" were interesting to think about. We shouldn't hide the truth. I think more than ever we need to be making truth known, but I see that truth as Jesus. Jesus is the truth. We are His body. We are supposed to be His light, shining out Him to others, not wearing t-shirts pointing out sins. But this brings up a bigger issue than that.

How many people outside the church, only experience t-shirts like this about Christianity and never experience the truth of Jesus embodied in us and in our lives? Not that we don't live it, but where do those outside the church experience the truth in us? I think that in our evangelical sub-culture we pretty much all wear "shirts" of one kind or another to express truth to others and feel then our job is done. ONe way we wear a "shirt" and I hear of often is "Well, they will see something different in me as a Christian and then ask why I am different and then hear about Jesus" . I can say every time I hear that, I ask the person if anyone ever has actually ever asked them "Why are you different?" and then we answer "Because of Jesus". I have never heard someone say that has actually happened. I think that is somewhat of a cop-out (in my opinion) as the examples I see in the BIble, they did win the respect of people by their lives but they were in relationships, working with others, and told others about Jesus, not just assume one day they might ask.

I am amazed and even numb now, of when I ask Christians what they are doing to share Jesus with others or how they are being Jesus to others. I am guessing around 95% of the Christians I ask, especially church leaders, are not in any true friendship with a non-Christian. I ask when was the last time you went to dinner with someone outside of the faith? Or when have you gone to a movie with someone not already part of your church? The answer almost 95% of the time is "I haven't". All of the time is spent with Christians in the church. Have we so turned the need for "community" into a selfish thing to where we now don't ever make effort to be salt and light to others? Or do so only by giving money to the poor or go on mission trips elsewhere - but not being in real relationships and friendships with those outside the church where we live? How else will they not think Christians are all like the guy wearing the t-shirt?

We need Christian community, but I even see community as being refreshed from being with others who love Jesus and to be prayed for etc. - and that ultimately is so that as believers we continue on the mission that Jesus sent us on - not so that we just feel peaceful and in a tranquil state of peace and calm and feel loved and needed by other Christians. The New Testament is filled with a lot of travel, action, and Christians who were not passive in building community and hope others get the message of Jesus somewhere. They weren't wearing those t-shirts though. They were out among people, talking, working with and making their faith known so that of course Jesus would come up in conversation undoubtedly. I read a book about the spread of Christianity in the first few hundred years of the early church, and they were stating it most lkely was because of the networks with non-believers Christians had that they didn't cut off when they became Christians.

When I do ask Christians, do you even have a non-Christian you know enough to even go out to movie with right now? And sadly  most might say "my brother" or a relative, but not an actual friend. We seem to cut all ties with those outside the faith socially. Thus, those outside the faith don't get to know real Christians and what we believe - they only experience the extremists like te t-shirt guy, or a street preacher or someone handing out tracts.

I am realizing more and more that most (not all but most) church leaders, don't spend time with non-Christians. I know some do of course, but as I said when I actually ask people "what did you do this weekend?" it is always going out with Christians, or hanging out with Christians. I understand the need for fellowship, but where will people know we are not all like the guy wearing the shirt if we only spend all our time socializing exclusively with all Christians? I think we somehow put on our own version of a "shirt" for evangelism or for sharing Jesus by thinking it is the missionaries job we support going to China. Or someone who goes to YWAM we know, they do that for us somewhere else. Or a special Christian concert or event that somehow non-Christians are supposed to go to. I think we wear our own shirts without realizing it, and somehow think the world around us will be exposed to the truth of Jesus. But we aren't doing it. We preach in our churches, but what about how Jesus was also spending time outside of the Temple and synagogue hanging out with sinners and the non-religious?

To some degree, at least I have to respect the guy in the plane that he was trying to do something in his own detrimental way about sharing light (but in his case it was blinding burning non-loving light). But at least he was doing something in his own twisted way. What are we doing?

Some questions that I ask myself and I would wonder in your life maybe ask yourself the same thing:

- Who are non-Christians that right now you pray for by name on a regular basis?

- Who are non-Christians that you have been building friendships with and hanging out with socially? When is the last time you went to dinner, or a movie with a non-Christian? 

- Do you even think about those outside the faith, or just your friends who are already Christians?

- How will others know that the guy on the plane is not a normal Christian, if we are spending our time all consumed with Christian-things and Christian community rather than also building relationships with those outside the faith?

So when they see the shirt on that guy, they know it isn't the norm as they have a friend (us) who isn't like that. Who are we are friend to right now, so when the see that guy in the shirt they think of us and know we aren't all like that?

We may not wear offensive shirts (and I hope we never do), but what are we individually doing - so that people don't just think that all Christians are like the one wearing the shirt? How will people know or experience "salt and light" if we are all just focusing inward to have our social needs met and our Christian sub-culture grow stronger?

I guess my personal conviction is that I was angry at the guy for wearing the shirt and totally disagree with what he was doing. But then I ask myself, what am I doing? And how will others know that the guy in the shirt is not a typical Christian, if we are all only hanging out with Christians? If we in church leadership are only focusing on making Christians more comfortable than training them for the mission Jesus sent us on? I am not talking about evangelism in the classic way here - I am talking about being ourselves and allowing people we are in relationships with and spending time with and discussing what we believe with as they gain trust in us? I have found it is quite easy and everyone outside the faith I have become friends with actually love talking about "religion", but it is after trust is built and relationships are there.

I am rambling... long post. (sorry Marko!) But as much as I hated the shirt and detested the manner of which he chose to project what he believed Jesus would, at least he was doing something. I hated how he did it, believe me. I wish he was not wearing that shirt and it makes me angry even thinking about it again. But at least he was trying to do something.