1 Peter 1: 13
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Oh Chewbacca Mask Lady… how your contagious laugh spread like wildfire. Have you seen her? I'll sum it up for you. A lady went to Kohl's. Bought a Chewbacca mask and tried it on while on Facebook Live. The mask makes the chewy noise when the wearer opens his or her mouth. The lady dies laughing. Video goes viral. Kohl's sells out. Honestly, I was in the "meh" camp, but I understood why the video was so popular. People want to laugh. They want to smile. They want to be joyful. This woman was not particularly attractive or well-spoken (things that typically would make a video or person interesting to us as consumers), but she was loving life, and that's something other people want for themselves and want to share with others. It's clearly powerful.
Last week Fernando asked if you've ever met someone who is so full of life, and enthusiasm and kindness only to be shocked to find out they are not a Christian? This week, I'll take the same question but flip it to ask if you're shocked to find out they ARE a Christian? Today we are more often talked about because of what we are against than what we are for and I wonder if it's misunderstanding verses like these that get us moving in that direction.
Live soberly doesn't mean live without enthusiasm, joy or fun. It just means we have to find those things in the right places. I think Chewbacca Mask Lady has shed a huge light on what we need to do to be more effective in our evangelism and ministry. Smile! Laugh! Invite! God has the ultimate message that can go viral. We just have to share it!
