Jesus Smashed Up My Living Room

As a journalist surrounded by other journalists, in an office which has housed journalists for hundreds of years, sometimes my mind drifts from the things printed in the bible, to the things printed in our newspaper. It is often breathtaking when those two worlds collide.

Last weekend a few of us went out for beers we couldn’t really afford. As we spoke about the hilarious stories we had written that week and some of the bizarre encounters we had faced, the conversation meandered to thoughts about sex (again). My lack of experience in this area became quickly apparent and the lads were baffled with the fact I am waiting until my wedding night to do the wild thing.

As they prodded my faith and asked the typical questions, I realised that for these men, I was probably the only Christian they knew. We shared what each of us believed and after half an hour of pointless theological debate, I told them the parable of the sower. I explained that some people hear the message of Jesus and reject it, some make up a song and dance and then reject it, and some build their entire lives on it. I told them I wanted to be the latter.

We each sipped our strawberry beers (which were on offer at the bar) before one of the seniors said something that will stick with me for a long time to come.

He said this:

“Alex, I’m not Christian, in fact I believe in everything. My faith is like the water. I believe in energy, the stars, and the waves. I do horoscopes and Buddhist meditations a lot. I guess I’m spiritual. But the thing is I have really vivid dreams. And last week I dreamt a guy with a bible came into my house and started telling me about Jesus. He explained the whole thing brilliantly; from the start of the book to the end, and showed me where Jesus fitted into it all. He then asked me if I would believe in him, and so I said yes. As soon as I did, he smashed my living room up. He trashed all my horoscope stuff, broke all my ornaments and my Buddha on the mantle piece. He even tore up my books about energy. I woke up and realised that Christianity is wrong. You can’t just smash people’s s**t up. That’s well rude!”

When he told me this I knew that the man in his dream was no crazy Christian with too much testosterone, it was Jesus. My faith in the sovereignty of Christ received a jump start at that moment and it occurred to me that Jesus still uses his original parables to share the message of God to those who have yet to put their faith in him. I shared this story with my dreamer-friend.

Jesus At The Temple

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.”It is written,” he said to them,” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.”

My friend smiled and thanked me for “Shedding light on his dream”. That was the end of our “God” chat for the evening. Brothers, it is so easy to get entangled with our daily lives but we need reminding of what Paul said to the church in Corinth:

“God always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

Sleep well.