CROCS & CHRIST
I've always loved nature shows. As a kid, I remember watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins. I never missed a Jacque Cousteau special. Of course, now there is an entire network called Animal Planet. Animal shows have come a long way. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to watch much these days, but on my holidays I was able to catch a few of my favourites. From among those, there is one series that roars above the rest — the Crocodile Hunter.
I love the Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin is a wonder to behold. If you only watched one or two of his shows, you might just think that he is a nut with a death wish, but that's not the case at all. You don't capture and release as many crocs as he has without having some major knowledge and smarts. Sure, Steve takes chances, but they are calculated chances all the same and that's what I love about his show.
Steve draws us into the drama. He not only shows us some nice pictures of animals in their natural habitat, he uses risks and a boundless enthusiasm to engage our hearts. You can't watch Steve without immediately understanding that this man loves what he does. Steve once said, "The things I want to be remembered for are passion and enthusiasm." I think he'll have his wish!
His desire is to help us care about conservation. He wants us to see animals as a natural treasure that need to be protected and preserved. Certainly all the nature shows have this common goal, but Steve's approach is unique. "Share my wildlife with me. If you're there with me, you'll care. If I can involve you, you'll care."
Think about it. Steve puts himself in dangerous situations, but not to entertain so much as to draw us in. He isn't a fool with a death wish; he's a man with enough passion to live a risky life to involve us in his world. Why does it do it? So we'll care. He does it so we'll change the way we think about our world. Steve understands that it's not just about education; it's also about the heart. You can know all you need to know about animals, but if that knowledge doesn't touch your heart, it won't make a lick of difference. It won't motivate you to action.
I think the Church needs a bunch of Steve Irwins. We already have an important life-changing message to share, but what we need are some people who are so excited about the message that they will take a few chances to engage the world and draw them in and make them care. How many Christians do you know who will be remembered for their passion and enthusiasm? Not a very nice question, is it? How good are we at engaging the hearts of fellow Christians, let alone our world?! Many Christians walk out of their churches every week going, "Thanks for the info, but so what?" What a shame! We should be running out of our churches with the passion and enthusiasm to wrestle with the god of this age.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across Tony Compolo speaking on the Vickie Gabbero show. Vickie is a well-know radio and television interviewer here in Canada. She is a great interviewer - smart, funny, intelligent, and often confrontational.
I was quite surprised to see that she had Tony on the show. My first thought was, "Gee, this should be interesting." I wasn't sure if Vickie was going to attempt some chewing and spitting, but I also knew that Tony could wrestle with the best of them so I watched with fascination. They talked about the inconsistencies and frustration with the Church, about the war in Iraq and a few other things, but what was inescapable was Tony's passion for Christ. He was honest about the Church's shortcomings, which was refreshing, but more than that He was brimming over with enthusiasm for Christ.
That day Tony made some very powerful statements about Jesus. He said things that wouldn't normally get on Canadian television. How did he get away with it? He was so incredibly honest and over the top with his love and excitement for Christ that he was contagious. He drew Vickie and the Audience in. Vickie may not have agreed with all he said, but at the end she had to hug him. I could tell that she had been forced to consider Christ in a light more compelling than she has ever seen him before. All of a sudden Christianity had some relevance. It couldn't be just written off. Why? Tony had gotten past the head and into the heart. Tony is one example of a Christian Steve Irwin, but we need more.
I think the worst thing we can do with the gospel is make it boring with our lack of heart-felt enthusiasm. We generally do a decent job of putting the truth out there, but where is the passion, enthusiasm and risk that will draw in the heart? If we can't be as passionate about Christ as Steve is about crocs, what does that say about us? Kriky!
If you have any thoughts or comments e-mail me by clicking on my name at the bottom of this page. I promise to write back.
