I just had an interesting conversation with Randy Harris. He was going on and on about how incredibly amazing the plot line for the TV show Lost is. He was really looking forward to finding out what happened in the latest episode in hopes that it might begin to tie up the overwhelming amount of loose ends the show’s creators have left the audience hanging with.
The problem is, I’ve never seen Lost.
I’ve caught glimpses of it and seen advertising for it. I’m totally aware of what the show is, understand the basic premise, and am even aware of some of the characters due to pop culture references that occur outside of the show. But, as Randy got really worked up about his passion for Lost and began detailing plot point and character arcs that were fascinating to him – I got totally lost. In fact, I also lost interest and thought to myself “I guess that’s cool for you, but I have no idea what you’re talking about” and I mentally checked out of the conversation. (sorry Randy)
This was a powerful reminder to me of how we can be passionate about our faith. We want to tell people about all the amazing things we’ve seen God doing in and through our lives. And many may have an awareness of who Jesus is and understand the basic idea behind it all – but when we begin to reference details of the Bible and challenge people to share that same passion, it can often fall on deaf ears. We have to always remember to put things in context as much as possible.
The good news is that while Randy didn’t convert me to being a fellow Lost fan just yet, he was able to begin a conversation that got me more interested in it. Seeing his interest in the show, and trusting his taste in entertainment, I may check it out on DVD someday. If another friend of mine was also really excited and told me about how great the show is, I’d be even more likely to check it out for myself.
I think the connection here is about as obvious as it gets. Tell those you know about your walk with the Lord. They may not totally understand it, but you never know if someday they’ll decide to check it out for themselves because of your recommendation.
