Ebay is truly a wonderful place.

While Stephanie and I were in California, we visited Disney's California Adventure Park, and the most popular ride there is called the Tower of Terror. As a ride, I found it to be a bit overrated, but as an experience, it was fantastic, for one reason: it was based on the Twilight Zone.

For one reason or another, the Twilight Zone has been one of my favorite TV shows for as long as I can remember. I would look forward to New Year's day every year, not because of the holiday itself or even the College Football Bowl games. Instead, every year, the ScyFy Channel has a Twilight Zone marathon, and nothing made me happier than watching episode after episode of Rod Serling's stories. Well, while we were in California, I told Stephanie that we should look into getting the series on DVD when we get back to Missouri, and last week, we did just that, purchasing the first season for the ridiculously low price of $12 on Ebay.

Hence, my original statement: Ebay is truly a wonderful place.

As we've begun to plow through the first season, however, it struck me why I love the show so much. See, in every episode of the Twilight Zone, there's what you see... and then there's what you don't. And what you don't see - the background - is every bit as important, if not more important than you actually do see.

Here's what I mean: in the first episode of the show, you see a man in a town. The town is perfectly ordinary in every way, save one: he's the only person there. No matter where he goes, he sees evidence of people, but there are, in fact, no people to be found. That's what you see. What you don't see - the background - is discovered at the end. The town is a delusion of the man, created out of the profound loneliness of being isolated for two and half weeks a box, simulating the ship that would eventually take him to the moon (note: this was filmed in 1959, an entire decade before a man actually DOES land on the moon). The point of the show was, obviously, that you can simulate most everything in life other than human companionship.

The background, then, was vital to understanding the rest of the story. And this, friends, is exactly how real life is. Take Jesus' conversation with a Samaritan woman in John's gospel, for example: the woman was an outcast, and shocked that Jesus would talk to her, much less want to get to know her. No one liked her, not even other Samaritans, and therefore, she was used to being just like the man in the moon simulator: completely alone.

Jesus, however, understood her background. He knew that her past sins and unfortunately circumstances led her to be the person she was. And so, sympathizing with her past, Jesus showed her love and compassion, and revealed to her, before anyone else, that he was sent by God to be the savioro of the world.

When most people saw this woman, they saw an irritant, a person to avoid. When Jesus saw this woman, though, he saw someone worthy of love. Why? Because Jesus knew the background. He knew that she was hurting, and he knew that there were parts of her life that she kept from everyone else, and those things were eating her alive from the inside out.

You and I need to learn that everything in this life is just like the Twilight Zone - what we can't see is every bit as important as what we can. When you encounter all the people you encounter every day, you're encountering people with backgrounds and baggage, with circumstances that cause them to be the way they are. And just like YOU may be going through something that might put you in a bad mood or ruin your day, other people are going through the same types of things. Understanding that people have baggage, just like you, and that what you can't see is as important as what you can is VITAL to doing what God wants us to do: love one another.

So the next time you feel like being impatient with someone else, or you're annoyed and irritated that you have have to deal with another person, remember: there are things you don't see. But those things are real, and those things are, just like they are for you, a huge part of why that person is how they are. And those things should give you pause before you fail to show compassion and love and mercy. After all, things aren't always as they seem...

... and that's not just true in the Twilight Zone.

When I was younger, I loved having 'favorites.' It didn't matter what it was, whether it was food or baseball players or bands or whatever; if I was interested in something at all, I'd have a 'favorite.' And when it came to my favorite movies, the unparalleled original Star Wars trilogy, I also chose a favorite character:

Chewbacca.

Now, to be fair, I don't have a time machine, and therefore, I don't really have any idea why Chewie was my favorite. But as I've gotten older and (hopefully, at least) a littler wiser, I've decided that Chewbacca was a fantastic choice to be my favorite. After all, the Wookiee was a wilfull servant to the rest of the characters, always ready to help even though everyone else took the credit when things went well. He was more than just a companion to Han Solo - he was a loyal friend who was willing to be imprisoned to help save him from Jabba the Hutt. And he was humble, not too proud to carry the incessantly irritating C-3PO on his back when he had been blown up by the people who look like pigs in Bespin.

In other words, of all the characters in Star Wars that Christians should emulate, Chewbacca fits the bill the most. Consider one of Jesus' stories about the kingdom of God: in it, there's a master who goes on a trip, leaving his lands in the hands of other people. The ones who do well are greeted when he returns with the following words:

'Well done, good and faithful servant.'

The point is simple: God has entrusted his kingdom on this earth to you and me, and when he returns, he's looking for good and faithful servants... just like Chewbacca. The problem is being loyal, humble and selfless is much harder than being the center of attention, like Luke Skywalker, or the one who others serve, like Princess Leia. And it's infinitely easier to consider ourselves to be the cool ones, like Han Solo, or the ones who are wise, like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. But to be the good, faithful, servant? That's tough. That takes a devotion and a passion that costs your ego and your selfishness. It can even cost everything you have.

And yet, it's that death to ourselves that Christ has called us to. The good news is that when we make the decision to be like Chewbacca, an impact is made on those around us, the type that can't be quantified by bank accounts or awards or accolades or power or anything else this world values. Instead, it's an impact that is spiritual. It's an impact that is eternal. That, friends, is an impact you can make. Just remember, as nerdy and ridiculous as it might sound:

Be like the Wookiee.

Apparently, I chose the wrong week to take a break from the Cincinnati Reds.

As you've no doubt heard (I know - many of you let me know you heard), there was some sort of school yard tiff between the St. Louis Cardinals and my beloved Reds this week. And while the two teams are deadlocked in a race for the playoffs, the action spawned from the comments of the Reds' All-Star second baseman, Brandon Phillips.

What Phillips was taking issue to was the fact that over the last couple seasons, members of the Cardinals coaching staff and team have seemed to go out of their way to accuse the Reds of breaking unwritten and written rules. Some examples, from my memory, include:

- The Cardinal coaching staff accusing Reds pitchers of illegally doctoring baseballs (this was not true);

- The Cardinal pitching staff accusing Reds staff of illegally doctoring the baseballs they used (this was also not true);

- Albert Pujols taking issue with the way a Reds pitcher celebrated getting him out (this was true, depending on your perspective); 

Etc., etc., etc. The point is not to demonize the Cardinals; the point is simply to note that members of the Reds (and their fan base) would have at least some measure of justification in believing that they were being targeted by the Cardinals in some sort of head game.

And so, when asked if games with the Cardinals took on more significance, Brandon Phillips had said...

'You know what? Yeah. Those guys have accused us of a lot over the last couple of seasons, and it'd sure be nice to show them we play the game the right way,'

... then Reds players and fans would have certainly applauded his ability to stand up for what he thought was right. We would have appreciated his desire to put into words what we all feel, and we would have cheered for him all the more as the team attempted to unseat the Central Division Champion Cardinals.

But that's not what he said. What he said was hateful, bitter, and out of line.

I can't help but think that the church is a whole lot like Brandon Phillips sometimes. We see something in our world that we think we need to speak up about, and we're armed with truth. But when we go to convey that truth, we don't sound like we're after a solution to the problem; we just sound like little kids picking a fight in the school yard.

The truth is that as Christians, we believe that we have the answer to humanity's problems: the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's all well and good. But if we can't convey that message in a way that tells others that our intentions are pure, then all the truth in the world will count for nothing in the end. That's why the apostle Paul told us that we should be wise in how we share this message, writing to the ancient church at Colossae

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. - Colossians 4:5-6

If we can't speak out in love, grace, compassion and understanding, then it doesn't matter how much truth we have - our message will never come across in a meaningful way. And that's why so often discussions about morality and theology turn into childish arguments; we aren't being wise, letting our conversation be gracious and attractive.

Christians have the truth. But if anyone else is going to know that, we're going to have to be very careful how we say what we say. Our method of speaking is every bit as important as the words that we say.

And if you don't believe me, just ask Brandon Phillips and the now second place Reds. 

Today, I saw Jesus.

Now, I don't mean that I saw a 2,000 year old bearded carpenter from the Middle East. Actually, the man I saw was from San Francisco. He was sitting across the aisle from me, next to two of the oldest people I've ever seen; I'm 80% sure they wrote love letters to each other during the Civil War. And as you might guess, they weren't in the best physical shape, going so far as to have a trained guide dog to help them as they traveled. The man from San Francisco was the last person to board our plane, and therefore, was the person stuck next to them for a two hour flight.

I don't think, however, that this man knew that he was going to be Jesus today. In fact, I'm fairly sure, judging by his business attire and laptop computer, that he was hoping to get some work done. But instead, for the entire flight, he spent his time doing one thing: showing that he cared about the elderly couple he was sitting with. He listened to the woman's stories and even shared with her a few of his own; he helped the man stand up and sit down so he could go to the bathroom during the flight; he helped them with their carry on bags so they could get off the plane in one piece. Heck, he even sat and pet the dog anytime he seemed nervous. This man spent an entire flight putting what he needed to do on the back burner, and in doing so, showed a pair of total strangers that they mattered, and that they were worthy of respect and love.

And in doing so, he showed them Jesus.

The New Testament teaches us that God is love, and that anyone who lives love is living God. Furthermore, Jesus is the exact representation, the physical reflection of God here on earth.

When you put those two concepts together - God being love and Jesus being Jesus' representative - and you're faced with the conclusion that when we show other people love, we're showing other people Jesus. Jesus himself echoed this sentiment when he sent his disciples to preach about the Kingdom of God during his ministry - he told them that if someone accepts (or rejects) them, that those people are accepting (or rejecting) HIM.

For you and me, then, we need to remember that we have an opportunity, no matter where we are - at church, at the supermarket, with our families, at work, in our neighborhoods, on a plane - to show people Jesus. By loving others, we're not only being the people God wants us to be, but we're also showing them that there's a God out there who loves them as well. And that, friends, should be our ultimate goal: to represent God, and show Jesus to the world around us.

I don't know if the man from San Francisco is a Christian, or if he understood that he was representing God or Jesus. But whether on purpose or in ignorance, the fact is that he was a light to two people who God loves, and through his actions, they caught a glimpse of what makes our Savior so amazing.

And that's a glimpse that you and I can show others as well. 

While I wouldn't recognize her on the street, like 90% of people living in America, I'd heard of Anne Rice. But until yesterday, I didn't have much reason to genuinely like her. That all changed with just a few posts on Facebook.

Rice is an author who's most famous for writing books about vampires, but really, what author isn't writing about vampires these days? In her own words, Rice went from being a 'pessimistic atheist' to a firm believer in Jesus, joining the Roman Catholic church in 1998. Since then, she's written almost excusively about religious matters.

This weekend, however, she wrote about religious matters on her personal Facebook page, claiming to have left the church:



For that, I could not applaud her more.

Now, this isn't to say that I agree 100% with what Rice stands for. Truth be told, I don't know exactly what she does stand for. What I do agree with, however, is her refusal to be associated with a church that is 'anti' everything. And this isn't just about the Catholics; this is about everyone.

For whatever reason, the longer I'm in the church, the more I realize that Christians stand against more things than they stand for. And that couldn't be farther from the gospel of Jesus. Jesus came into this world because God loves human beings. He wants to be with us, despite our sinful rejection of and rebellion against him, and as Jesus taught and interacted with people, he affirmed that they were worth everything to God. As Christians, we should be pro-life, and I'm talking more than just a stance on abortions. I mean what Jesus meant when he said,

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. - John 10:10

Jesus referenced powers in this world that are against humanity. Calling those who would seduce God's people, 'the thief,' he notes that they are here to steal, kill and destroy. But as for him? His entire purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life.

Read that again: Jesus wants to give us a rich and satisfying life.

That life comes from passionately following Jesus. It may not mean we're successful in this world or that we'll have everything we want; what it does mean is that we live out the purposes that God has for us, and more than anything, that we accept Jesus' offer of eternal life with God after we're dead and gone from this one.

Unfortunately, when all the church does is stand against everyone, that message is lost. And that's sad. So while I won't be avoiding the term 'Christian' anytime soon in my life, I agree wholeheartedly with Rice's sentiments. It's time that we stand for Christ, for love and compassion and freedom and mercy. It's time we were pro-life.

And that, friends, is exactly what Jesus wants.