The problem with Pentecostal Christians (at least, one of the problems), is that we are all essentially used car salesmen. The whole "Great Commission" thing ("Therefore go and make disciples of all nations" Matt. 28:19) has been taken very seriously in the culture of the Pentecostal denominations, and it's sometimes to our detriment.
Not that I think we shouldn't be trying to "make disciples of all nations". If we honestly believe in what we believe in, then keeping it to ourselves would be the most selfish, thoughtless thing we could possibly do. Like a doctor who found a cure for cancer but decided not to do anything about it.
However, like most people who are trying to sell something, we have a tendency to gloss over the things that should probably be pointed out. Anything we think might not be perceived as 100% positive, we try to avoid. Or we try to re-cast it in a different light so that we find the silver-lining and sell that instead of the cloud.
The most useful thing someone selling you a used car could do is point out that the tyres are still okay at the moment, but will need to be replaced soon. Or that certain features aren't original, and might not be fully compatible with the make of the car. Of course, a salesman never mentions that - he tells you it's all completely perfect and hopes like hell you believe him.
I guess another analogy would be a politician who stays on message regardless of how many questions he/she is asked - even if the frank answers to those questions might be more accurate and relevant than the message that the writers have come up with.
The really annoying thing is that we do it all the time. Even amongst ourselves. We're absolutely convinced that, if we mention the balding tyres, we'll be discouraging people from buying the car, so we don't talk about it. If someone else does, we immediately leap to point out how many miles you'll still get out of them. Even if you've already bought the car, have no regrets about the purchase and no intention of parting with it, talking about those balding tyres is just not done.
You can recognise it personally, and make plans to fix the tyres or get rid of the spoiler which wasn't part of the original model and is showing signs of rust - as long as you do this in the privacy of your own privacy. Should you mention it to someone else, they might think you're not happy with the car, and that will damage your ability to sell used cars to other people.
It seems to be a compulsion. I do it myself. Even though I'm at a point in my life where I'm taking a hard look at what it is that I actually believe in and trying to strip away all of the things that have been added on and glossed over for generations so that I can happily recognise the difference between something worth fighting for and something that's just a nice story, I'm hesitant to talk about it with anyone. Instead, I either gloss over things,avoid mentioning them or point out the "many miles left" when someone else brings up one of the subjects that I've been thinking about.
It's starting to bother me a bit, actually. I've noticed I have a tendency to either shut-up or stay on-message even when I'd rather talk about what's been on my mind about certain subjects - if my thoughts don't fit the sales-pitch, I don't know what to do with them.
I don't feel as if I can talk to non-Christians about them because they might think I'm not happy with the car and they might use that as a reason not to buy one (which would, literally be a tragedy). Plus, the current climate in secular circles has me in defensive mode at the moment - the things I care very deeply about have been viciously attacked and slandered from several quarters, and I'll be damned if I offer anyone anything they might be able to use as ammunition.
At the same time, I don't feel as if I can talk to other Pentecostal Christians about them because I know exactly what they're going to say - the usual sales-pitch. I know the sales-pitch back-to-front and I don't need anyone to parrot it back to me. I need someone who'll engage me in a conversation - someone who'll talk about the balding tyres and the non-original spoiler without feeling as if the entire car is under threat.
It's no wonder we come across as close minded and somewhat deluded. The sad truth is that we sometimes mistake the packaging for the package, and that we often hold onto things that maybe we shouldn't hold onto. If we could just admit that - if we could get to the point where we could comfortably acknowledge that the tyres will need replacing and the rear-spoiler isn't one of the original accessories - maybe the things we hold onto will be a little more credible. Maybe the people are thinking about buying the car, but aren't sure if they can really trust us will have an easier time figuring out if we are on the level with them.
I think I've stretched this metaphor as far as I feel like stretching it for the moment.
Except that, I think it's about time I started talking about my used car in more open, less on-message kind of way. I'll probably do a bit of that here, in this blog. I am perfectly happy with my car, but I know it's had a few owners and has clocked up a lot of miles over the years. I know the tyres will need replacing soon. I know a lot of the previous owners have added accessories that aren't part of the original, might not fit the make and model perfectly and could probably be done away with quite happily. That said, I'd still happily recommend it to anyone. It's a good little car, and well worth having.
Okay, now I think I've stretched this metaphor as far as I feel like stretching it.
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