I went to see the movie “Public Enemies” with the guys from my family last week. I won’t give a critical review of the film, but I did notice something that made me think. The movie was about John Dillenger – public enemy #1 in the 1930’s. It traced his heyday of bank robberies and narrow escapes from the law. He became a sort of hero (many would call him an “antihero” today) in those hard times.
Here’s what caught my eye. In a poignant scene, Johnny is talking to a Syndicate (mafia) boss. They are in a hidden room filled with telephones and guys taking bets on horse races. Johnny is ready for another big score and is a little frustrated that his mafia connections are letting him down. As he confronts the mafia guy, the mob boss finally says:
“Johnny, what did you score in that last heist? $74,203? Yeah! Well this operation in this room brings that in every day now! This is a river of money from all over the U.S. Helping you is too risky because what you are doing is making the Feds pass laws to make interstate crimes a Federal issue. When that happens, this river could dry up!”
That is a paraphrase – I wasn’t taking notes in the movie theater!
Here’s what ran across my mind. Johnny was stuck in an old way of doing things. He couldn’t move forward with the times. He couldn’t think outside of his one way of doing things – robbing banks. When you already have the answer to the question – no matter what the question is – you will eventually be wrong. Johnny’s answer was “rob a bank.” It didn’t matter what the question was. But the question was changing…
In our life as a church (we don’t rob banks or run a gambling syndicate…or anything illegal!) we have to constantly ask ourselves if we are doing the most effective thing to accomplish our goal. Our goals are not nice clothes, lots of money, and fast cars – like John Dillenger. Our goals are helping people find hope in Jesus and live lives of meaning and significance.
Are we doing the best things possible to accomplish our goals? Are we becoming more known for a method and not for the message? Are we more married to a method of doing “church” than to the message of Jesus?
These are questions we must constantly ask ourselves.
Under the Mercy,
Jason
1 comment:
actually, i'd have to say yes, the church as a whole seems too married to this idea of "hit and run evangelism". it seems as though we're willing to quickly hand out pamphlets or scream from boxes, then quickly retreat lest we be persecuted. (oh noes! someone's gonna say bad words at me! I work in retail, if that doesn't happen to me daily, I get a little freaked out). we're all about constantly telling "heathens" to convert and repent and all those other awesome buzzwords, BUT when someone actually stops us and asks "hey...so...tell me about Christ", we, including me..er...I, freeze. we don't actually want to talk to people, no we're to busy screaming at them or shoving propaganda in their hands. the apostles and Christ himself certainly did their fair share of "shouting" (a better term would be testifying, shouting is when people don't listen/you're not really saying anything) but what we seem to miss is that they actually sat down and talked with people as well! like smart people! holy crap!
if this church wants to make any progress it has to stop it's persecutions, and actually sit down and talk with people. but you knew that.
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