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Can I let you in on a little secret about me? I like sports.
I know what you’re thinking: “He wears skinny jeans, plays guitar in a band, drinks a lot of cold brew, and will go on and on about pencils. How could he be into sports?”
How do I know you are thinking that, you ask? Without fail, every couple of weeks I’ll be chatting with someone and drop a little sports knowledge. The moment those sports-related words leave my mouth, confusion sets up shop on the face of whoever I’m talking with. True story.
My life has been filled with these interactions for the better part of the last decade (even though you think word would get out over 10 years). One time I showed up to play softball with a glove in hand and was asked if I was dropping the glove off for someone else who was playing that day. Clearly I don’t broadcast my love for sports in a way that people get the idea.
A couple of weeks ago I had one of these exchanges. I spent five minutes, explaining in detail, that in fact, I really do like sports. This recent interaction got me thinking. Could there be anything else in my life people would be so surprised to learn about me that I would have to convince them of it?
What about my faith? What would my coworkers, the customers I work with weekly, or the baristas I see daily say if you told them I was a Christian? Would they be shocked, surprised or confused, or would they affirm it?
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of all was, He responded by saying, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).
If we love Jesus and love others, our lives will look different. They will reflect Christ and His love. If that is happening, I firmly believe our friends, coworkers and coffee shop baristas wouldn’t be surprised at all if we mentioned our faith.
Ultimately, I’m okay dealing with the surprise people express when they find out I am into sports. I am not okay with people being surprised by my love for Jesus.
How about you?