That Looks Good, Pass Me A Cup

I’m weird. I don’t like coffee. I’ve finally come to realize that the bitter sensors in my tongue are on overdrive and I just can’t stand anything that tastes bitter. Dark chocolate — forget it! Grapefruit — blech! On top of that, I’m just not a fan of hot drinks.

But you know what might be even weirder? I want to like coffee. I really do. I see everyone enjoying their hot cup of Joe in the morning and I want that. I watch them with both hands wrapped around the cardboard sleeve of their venti brew on a cold morning and I wonder, “Why not me?” I see people walk into their local coffee house, Starbucks, Tim’s, or Dunkin Donuts and they order their favorite mocha docha frappa lappa ding dong, or whatever you coffee people call those things, and I feel like I’m missing out.

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I see people sitting in their trendy coffee shops and I feel like a hungry kid with his face pressed against the window of the bakery shop on donut day. “Please, sir. Can I have one too?”[/pullquote]

You know why I want to like coffee? It’s because I feel like I’m missing out on something. I feel like you coffee lovers share some kind of special bond or secret knowledge and I want to be a part of your club. I want to sit down next to you on the comfy couch of your hip coffee house and sip my expensive, bitter drink too. You coffee drinkers make it look so good, and I want what you have!

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]But, truth be told, I don’t want your drink, I want your experience — I want your bond. I want to be a part of the fellowship of the bean![/pullquote]

When I think of these things it leads me to wonder about the life I display, the Christianity that I demonstrate to the world. I wonder about my church, my family and my friends. Do I — do we — show the world something they might want. I believe from the bottom of my heart that Christ is what the world needs, but would they even want the Christ we show them? Do they see the way we live, and love, and fellowship, and serve, and accept and think to themselves, “I’m not sure what that is, but I gotta get me some of that!” Or would they see the way we live, the way we tweet and post, or drive, or work, or judge and reject and say, “Nope, I’d rather sleep in on Sunday. I’ve got better things to do with my time. If that’s what Christianity is then you can keep it.”

Jesus told his followers that they were “the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

I think Jesus is talking about a life of faith that is active and loving. I think he’s talking about the kind of religion that says to other religious people, “Yes, I know you have things that you’re against. I don’t find every single thing in the world acceptable either. But while you spend your time posting, and tweeting and running away from the things you’re against and people that are different from you, I’d rather love them. I’m going to shine a little bit of Light on ‘em. As a matter of fact, I’m kicking the basket off this light — pass me that stand over there. No, not that one. Give me that other one. Yeah, that one —the tall one. I want to lift this light, God’s light, even higher!”

Of course everyone won’t accept your faith, no matter how kind and loving it is, no matter how much the light of Christ shines from you. You know what, God gives them that choice.

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]But there will be others that will see your life and love and they’ll be like that hungry kid pressing her face against the bakery shop window and say, “Can I come in? Can I sit with you? can I enjoy whatever it is that you’re having?” Then you and Christ will open the door and invite them in.[/pullquote]

As much as I’m convinced that I’ll never like coffee, I’m convinced that many people will find this kind, loving and light-filled life sweet. It’ll be sweeter than anything they’ve ever tasted and they’ll want more. They won’t be able to get enough of that sweet, bright taste of Christ. Then their lives will start to shine and the sweet aroma of Christ will drift all around them too. They’ll look around themselves and wonder who they can share it with. They’ll go to their friends and say, “You gotta try this, you’ll love it!”