Click

Click (1,187)

June 24th, 2011

There is just too much talking.

First of all—it’s not debate, it’s arguing. Secondly, Jesus intelligently told us that much speaking does not get us anywhere in the progression of human thought or human character. We are a visually-driven people—and without evidence before our eyes, we have a tendency to peruse possibilities rather than embrace them.

We need to stop incriminating ourselves because faith does not come by hearing. It was a really nice thought by the Apostle Paul, but lasting faith which causes us to transform our lives in a different direction is always produced by seeing. It’s when things click.

It’s a great word—click—because it reminds you of a camera. That’s what we are. We capture a snapshot of something that intrigues us; we process the film in our minds and produce a representation that we tote around as an example of a remembered pleasure. So to make things “click” we need to see them. Nobody can take a picture in the dark nor have we been able to take any visual representation of a sound. Human beings want to see things on their own and then do them, discover their own victory and conquering and then—click!—it suddenly becomes part of their life and they can’t remember ever not doing it.

It reminds me of the early days in the ministry of Jesus, when somebody asked him where he lived. Instead of describing the location or giving the person a map, he replied, “Come and see.”

When John the Baptist expressed doubts about Jesus’ mission, Jesus did not decide to send back an oratory on theology, but instead, had John’s emissaries follow him around for a few days and see the miracles for themselves. Then he told them to go back and tell John what they’d seen.

There is just too much preaching going on in this country, both in the secular world and the religious community. I find myself torn between two countries—one with a conservative thrust, insisting that we go back to traditional values, and a liberal angle, wanting to do anything as long as its progressive.

I’m sorry. Don’t talk to me anymore. Don’t preach at me. Show me something that works. Let me assimilate it. Let me find my way to do it. Let me conquer it—and then it will actually click into place.

We are not willing to wait for people to discover wisdom by rehearsing their own rendition of the action. We want to choose up sides and throw rocks across the chasm. It just doesn’t work.

One of my favorite scriptures from Jesus is when he describes the intelligent seeker of truth who comes into his household and finds the best of the old and the best of the new, blends them together and makes his own. How brilliant.

I don’t see much clicking going on in our society, because there is too much “clique-ing.” Don’t ask me to join your conservative movement. Show me how it makes people happy. Then give me a chance to do it for myself and if I find it works and I conquer it, I will embrace it. Don’t pummel me with your liberal jargon. Show me how it makes people happy and I will develop my own style, try it, and if it’s successful, I will conquer it and incorporate it into my existence.

We do not understand people, therefore we treat one another either like little tin gods or animals. Here’s the formula for people to be successful:

I saw. I did. I conquered. Click.

I will occasionally have people ask me why I’m traveling around the country instead of simply writing my jonathots everyday and promoting it to hundreds of thousands. It is because faith does not come by words—it comes by seeing. And when I stand in front of an audience and give them a visual of my faith, my potential for reaching them triples. Gosh, it may even quadruple. I’m not sure of the number. Because they can see what I’m doing, decide for themselves, develop their own pattern, conquer it and then have the click of revival go off in their souls.

A friend of mine recently lamented that folks don’t always appreciate the quality of art and the power of a message. I just laughed and said, “You have to decide whether you want people to be fans or if you want them to do better.”

Fans admire you. But when people see what you do and quietly walk away and develop their own mind-set on the matter, it is the greatest form of praise. As Jesus said so brilliantly, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

In other words: See what I do, go out and do it, conquer and then … click!