What’s On The Screen & What’s On The Street

I was listening to Jonathan Martin speak on the Myth of Moses while out on my favorite trail yesterday…

Here are a few summarized bits of what he was talking about:

• In the Old Testament account, we only hear that Moses put a veil over his face because he’d just been with God – and radiated the glory of God so much that the people couldn’t even look at him. It was as if the veil protected the people from getting too much of God from Moses.
• In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul throws Moses under the bus. He says Moses put a veil over his face, essentially to hide the fact that God’s glory was fading from him. Moses wanted to veil his humanity. He wanted people to think God’s presence and glory was tied up with him all the time.
• At a recent church growth conference, the experts explained why churches need to have cameras and big screens as soon as possible – regardless of  how small the church might be – because “people want their pastors to be larger than life.”
• In The Wizard of Oz, Toto the dog pulls back the curtain and exposes the man behind it – an average, middle-aged man (who was nothing like the great wizard projected on the big screen).
• Jesus, the only one whose glory never fades—and who is, in fact, God Himself—rode into the great city of Jerusalem on a borrowed young donkey. Instead of a glorious parade with fireworks and royal carriages, Jesus makes the most understated and humble king’s entrance among his people.

The big point of what Jonathan Martin was saying is this:

I don’t want to do the Moses thing – perpetuating the myth that the presence and glory of God is tied up in me. Rather than veiling my humanity, I’d rather it be known that I’m just a man like any other man. I’m no hero. There’s only one hero, and his name is Jesus.

His message (which is worth listening to) got me thinking – particularly about what’s on the church screens. Most often, a larger than life image is projected. We see gifted communicators, answer-men, charisma, success… experts in almost everything. But on those screens, humanity is veiled. I’m not necessarily against the screens. Our church has ‘em. They do make me uncomfortable at times. And I have honest questions about “video church” – but I will save those for another time.

I guess what I really care about is this: does what’s on the screen match what’s on the street?

Is the “wow-factor” of the great preaching matched with people who are creating a wow-factor on the streets? Are people in our community moved by our compassion and love – not on Sunday from a screen, but on Thursday on the street (or in the office, the park, the store, etc)?

If what’s on the street isn’t nearly as great as what’s on the screen, it’s only a matter of time before Toto comes…