They Didn't Speak My Language

Yesterday was an extremely long day for our entire family. Following church and lunch with some band members performing at our church’s community festival later that day, we had a very brief stint at home. I decided to use these few minutes to sit in front of the television, which I do not get to do that much. I quickly landed on the Univision channel where they were airing a live soccer game and there is no other sport I love more than the real football, soccer – it’s the world’s sport! Since Univision is a Spanish speaking network I could not understand one thing the commentators were saying, except maybe gooooooooooal. There was something in the voice of those two announcers which caused me to get into the game, even though I did not follow either team or know any players on the field. I could tell that these guys loved the game and wanted everyone to feel the same way they felt. In my opinion, if someone can give me a desire to watch something I do not fully understand, they are pretty amazing.

I have often wondered what people who do not fully understand God, the church, or Christianity thinks when they listen to me talk. Are they curious about my faith by listening to me speak? Or, do people detect more passion in my voice when I talk about sports, politics, the latest flavor at Starbucks, and who Dwight Schrute is dating on The Office? I like sports, hate politics, enjoy good coffee, and occasionally indulge myself in television drama; however, do these things deserve more passion than my Creator? I must be honest…I struggle with this in my own life. I am never at a loss to discuss the latest music, the newest trend, the weekend blockbuster, a book I just finished, and the final score. Don’t get me wrong…I am not proposing that we abandon anything connected with current culture, but I am challenging all of us to give God His rightful place in our hearts. We must be a people who are passionate about God and His life-changing work in our lives. When we are convinced about His work in our world and in the hearts of people, we will develop a passion which is contagious, even when others don’t understand all the facts.