Does Anybody Have Anything Meaningful to Say?

I’m sitting in Panera studying and wi-fi’ing, and there’s a man sitting behind me who is so excited about his favorite thing that he can’t keep his mouth shut. He’s talking to a client about The Eagles. He knows everything about the Eagles. The new album has been out for months, and he is detailing its songs, telling how many it has sold and how that compares to the other mega-bands of the past few generations. He has told her about all the concerts he has attended and the outrageous price he paid for tickets. He has everything the Eagles ever produced. He is probably in his mid-50s, and apparently the one thing he can passionately speak about in his life is The Eagles.

His dialogue (actually, diatribe, as she hasn’t said a thing; he apparently hasn’t noticed that she couldn’t care less about The Eagles) is a commentary on the condition of man in our culture. Most people get excited about what doesn’t matter, and pay little attention to what does. We are a surface society, deep in needs, shallow in substance, pursuing the topical, dying in the inside. What if this man knew Jesus? How could he be part of changing the world if he was talking excitedly about Jesus?

But how about those who know Jesus, and just sit there and engage in the same type of conversation with such a man, never transitioning it to what really matters. What about all of us (I’m guilty!) who don’t speak so excitedly about the most important thing to us? If I could explain about Jesus, the Cross and salvation the way the man behind me can unpack the Eagles, more people would be coming to Christ!

The Eagles can’t save this man. My Jesus has saved me. And it’s secure! The ONLY way that living in eternity (which we are already in) with Jesus is like the Hotel California is that I can check out any time I want, but I can never leave! That’s something worthy of talking about.