On various holidays, Google changes the logo on their search page to reflect the theme of the occasion. On October 13, 2008, which was Columbus Day, Google opted to sport a logo in honor of Paddington Bear’s 50th birthday instead of a drawing of the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria; which it has done in years past. I used to thoroughly enjoy reading Paddington Bear, but is it really more important than the day that Columbus discovered the New World?
Be honest, how many of you actually celebrated Columbus Day? That’s what I thought. I did to an extent, because I had the day off of work (I’m a federal employee, I know, you hate me). But in reality, I could have cared less about the holiday. What Google did really is impressive, it bucked against the status quo and decided to celebrate something people might actually be interested in: Paddington Bear’s birthday.
This is a really interesting lesson about Web 2.0 — it doesn’t maintain the status quo, it goes where the people really are, and talks about things that really matter to people. A lot of churches seem to always stick to the status quo for particular holidays. For instance, I know I’m going to learn about Jesus in the manger on Christmas and I know I’ll hear about His Passion and crucifixion on Good Friday. And there is nothing wrong with that, but how about the personal touch — what does this really mean to me? Maybe instead of re-enacting the nativity scene with a gaggle of preschoolers this year so people’s grandparents will attend church to take pictures of their kids, why not throw everyone for a loop and reflect on the magnitude of the Incarnation of Christ — the fact that He became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
I grew up Lutheran, and most Lutheran churches follow the church calendar. I could look in my hymnal as a kid and tell you what Bible verses we would be reading one year in advance. Now I understand tradition and all, but why not break from the status quo a little bit? I mean, we already know half of the people (if not more) who claim to be Christian only attend church on Christmas and Easter, why not give them something different. I mean, if one were only going to attend church twice a year, why should the services all be identical? Why not save some time and money, and instead of dressing up preschoolers as wise men, simply tell people about incarnational living? Maybe even explain (gulp) that without regular fellowship with other believers our faith will wither. Maybe instead of trying to appease our guests we only see twice a year, maybe preach Law and Gospel to them, in a non-traditional way. When you hear and see the same thing year after year, the status quo isn’t going to get your attention. Why not “let ‘em have it?” Why even bother with the manger story? Why not explain why He had to come in the first place? Do the unthinkable and preach out of the Old Testament — do something different, think outside of the box.
That’s the message of Paddington Bear trumping Columbus Day. Don’t go with the status quo, do something different. Get people’s attention. Get people talking. Most importantly, get people to think. We spend so much time living life at a busy pace so that we don’t have to slow down and reflect — because most of us are afraid of what we might learn if we did. Churches have largely unchurched folks’ undivided attention for at least one hour on Christmas this year, do something different — make it count. Christianity 2.0 doesn’t care about the way it’s always been done, it wants something fresh and relevant. Don’t bore me with another nativity play, tell me about incarnational living.
- What does incarnational living mean to you? What does the above picture tell you about it?
- Are you tired of the status quo?
- What are other ways one can be fresh and relevant instead of maintaining the status quo in regards to being a follower of Jesus?
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