Here, You Throw This Away.

Mitch Hedberg, a stand up comedian who sadly died in 2005, wrote a prescient joke. He said, "Whenever I walk, people try to hand me out fliers, and when someone tries to hand me out a flier, it's kinda like they're saying, 'Here, you throw this away.'" Very funny and very true. Fliers and even tracts get handed out every day by random people who seek to perpetuate their cause. That cause can be a concert in the next few days, a bake-sale for the local boy scout troupe, or even--heaven forbid--a Christian message.

It's easy to see why the two former examples would want to advertise, but why in the world would someone of a certain religious faith feel the need to advertise that message to others? Why would someone worry about how I live and feel the need to intrude upon my own autonomy to express their own, perhaps seemingly--and sometimes (unfortunately) actually--condemning views, upon me? Why don't they just mind their own business and let me live my life while they continue along with theirs?

The answer is love. The unfortunate and deplorable truth of condemnation and self-serving legalism aside, most Christians who hand out tracts to random people do so out of a sense of altruism that would rival any charity you may have ever contributed to. Many charities seek to help the poor and diseased and downtrodden. Evangelical Christians do this as well, and then attempt to do so much more.

If you had the cure for cancer, would you not try to get that message out? If you had the answer to world hunger and violence, would that not be a priority on your list of things to tell others? Some, I'm sure, would use that information to set up a corporation with its own marketing strategies replete with a media blitz to capitalize on the idea and make a fast and easy buck. Christians, however, who believe (whether you agree or not) that they have THE ONE AND ONLY way to salvation freely provide this information to others. There are many reasons behind this. The idea of love that I brought up earlier is but one.

Jesus Christ, who hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other "unworthies" was the paradigm and example of how we should live our lives. Judging others has no place. Love for one another is, on the other hand, the single greatest and most important of any commandment within the tome we call the Bible. He modeled that within his own life, and we--as Christians--are commanded to emulate Him. This is good news. In an age of war, violence, hatred, murder, etc., wouldn't it be nice to have love?

All of you who may balk at the idea that people desire and seek out love might consider whether or not you live in a vacuum. Do you have a wife? girlfriend? child? Isn't love a part of this? Would you have a girlfriend or wife if you didn't have any use for love? (The desire for sexual relations notwithstanding.) Would you care for your child and seek the best for her if not for love? How many songs, poems, movies, books, magazine articles, (I could go on) deal with this very theme? The Beatles sang "all you need is love," and the world bought those records in droves.

There are exceptions to every rule. There are plenty of bad parents. There are plenty of people who have relationships (as I alluded to earlier) for the benefits of the physical nature. These, however, are in the minority. The argument could also be made that people such as this simply love themselves. But isn't that merely a warped version of what I am describing? Either way, love is pervasive and an indelible part of the human psyche and condition in general. This very thing, love, is what prompts people to share their faith in Jesus with complete strangers who may or may not give a crap. And with the antagonistic nature of many responses to any type of evangelism, it is clear (and sad) that many don't feel comfortable sharing their faith with others at all. But I digress.

Jesus, though, didn't simply teach us to be kind and love one another. He also commanded Christians, in Mark 16:15, to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." This is a necessity and an integral part of what being a Christian is all about, not to mention where the popular argument put forth by the many detractors of Christianity that its single path to salvation is exclusionary is easily and obviously broken down. (That, however, is a subject for--perhaps--my next blog.)

We, as Christians, are called to tell others the good news. This good news includes what we are all seeking: love. This good news takes all of the bad in our lives and transforms it for good. This good news gives us the ability to fail and fall short and not be doomed because of it. Moral subjectivism aside, can we not all agree that we are not perfect? Have you never done anything wrong? I know I have. It's nice to know that I have someone who, by his sacrifice, has atoned for anything and everything I will ever do that is bad. This is not a license to sin, but a license to hope. And who, after the last presidential election, can claim to care nothing for hope?

Pushy people forcing religion and condemnation are not what I am talking about here. I don't like those people/tactics any more than you do. But if we are honest with ourselves, we will see that others advertise in far more intrusive ways than the basic tract that is my subject. How often are you forced to sit through commercials on TV and radio about products you will never have a need for, never use, and possibly even deplore? At least Christians just hand you something you can either read, or simply do as Mitch Hedberg suggested, and throw away. This requires even less time than that commercial for feminine hygiene products or a myriad of others inconceivably placed between segments of male-viewer-dominated television shows. (Sorry, I can, in truth, only speak from my own experience.)

It's a bit refreshing, though, to think about the fact that those who seek to propagate the love of Jesus at least do it from a standpoint of caring and love, and not from seeking any sort of profit. The gift of grace we have in Jesus Christ is not a marketable commodity like the next sports drink or ipod. Its a gift extended to all who call themselves human to revel in an unconditional love, freely given by one who knows us better than we know ourselves.

So the next time some random person hands you a religious tract, try thinking about it in a different way. Try thinking that maybe that person cares about you. Try thinking that maybe you are worthy of love and acceptance by an amazing God who loves ALL of his children, whether they love (or even acknowledge the existence of) Him. And whether you believe or are an ardent atheist, try thinking that, if you don't agree, at least all you have to do is simply throw it away.

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As an addendum I would like to say that I do not think tracts are necessarily the best way to go about sharing your faith with others. Many people have come to faith through tracts, and for that reason I obviously do not object to them. That said, though, I believe people are relational and built that way for a reason. Handing out some reading material to a random person you do not know and may never meet again can lead to some issues.

First of all, do you trust everything a random person gives you? Is it real to you in any meaningful way? With the comments I've heard about people that hand out tracts, it clearly is not more times than it is. Second, what can Jesus do in my life? The idea of salvation may appeal to someone, but without anyone to model what can be done for an individual personally, this may seem more like a fairy tale we wish to be true rather than something real and transforming. Third, who is there to answer questions? I've yet to see anyone confronted with what Jesus could do in her life that did not have serious questions and maybe even misgivings that need to be addressed. If a person does not know anything about Jesus or maybe even hostile to the idea, she probably doesn't have a lot of strong Christians she can or is willing to turn to in order to answer her questions, concerns and doubts. Being told about the love of Jesus and salvation by a friend answers to all of these concerns.

As I said before, I am not against tracts and do not find them to be "wrong." I just think a more relational approach can and will be more effective in the long run. It is, albeit, harder for someone to talk to a friend. It is easy to say something controversial to a stranger you may never see again. (Check out the comments on internet posts for paradigm examples.) And even easier to simply hand someone a piece of paper they no doubt will not read until after you are gone. It is clearly more difficult to discuss things of this nature with friends or coworkers who may laugh at us, make fun of us, and even hate us for what may be perceived as crazy, stupid, and/or exclusionary. This is where relying upon the Lord for wisdom, strength and some bravery will come in very handy.