I start with a little story…
There was a local celebrity who decided to visit a smaller town in order to discuss a new movie that would be coming out soon. Everyone in the town heard what was going on, and because of this the whole community gathered to hear this man talk about his latest film. It had been rumored that he was looking for someone to play his spokesperson in the new movie, and of course this would be the start of a prosperous career for whoever he picked. Two friends heard the news and discussed how they could try to be the chosen actor. The first of the two said “I’ve got it!! I’m gonna wear a pink gorilla suit and dance around in the middle of the crowd!! He’ll have to see me then!!” The other friend looked at him and said “Wow, really? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. You have to get close to him. You have to blend into the crowd and then get through to him, kinda like a sneak attack.” The first friend replied “I don’t think that’ll get you anywhere,” and then left in order to pick up his suit. At noon that day, a large crowd gathered to hear this actor talk. He described the role in great detail, telling the crowd that the person was to play the role of his spokesperson, PR rep, or whatever you’d wanna call it. This character had to rise above expectation and represent the actor’s character at all times very well. He searched through the crowd to find someone who he thought could do the job, but when he looked out no one stood out to him. The second friend had been trying to push through for half an hour, but his attempts failed him. It was no use. Just then, the actor looked out and said “Who is that?” There was a pink gorilla in the crowd, and it was dancing up a storm. It was the first friend, and he danced his way up to the actor’s podium and said “I think I’d be great for the role.” The actor, shocked by his presentation and forwardness, said “Well I’d say so! You’re the most unique person here!” The crowd applauded for the guy in the pink gorilla suit, and he went on to become a successful actor while the other friend just went on with his daily life, still blending into the crowd.
The moral of this story is:
When trying to be a witness to Christ, blending into the world can bring you down.
We often hear so many people use funny phrases for why they don’t give the old school, straight-up testimonies anymore, or why people don’t witness to their friends. “I live my life as an example.” OK cool… Wait, example of what? You have to tell me first (I have to quote Brother Dave or Joe Giffen for that last statement, whichever said it.) I’m not saying we all have to hand out tracts, ask really awkward questions and give dirty looks if the person does not instantly accept Christ. We really do have to live our lives as if we are listening to what God has to say, but in so doing we can’t ignore what He’s already told us: we’re IN the world, not OF it. (One great example occurs in John 15:18-19.)
Sometimes, we see examples of people who think that the way they can witness is by going everywhere their lost friends go, doing everything their lost friends do, and trying their hardest to be cool. Why can’t we all just realize that sometimes the pink gorilla suit’s the way to go?
Let me explain the pink gorilla suit:
There is no such thing as a pink gorilla, so if you see one, you instantly recognize that there’s something special about it. This would be like someone who emanates the Light of Christ. This person is usually noted as special in a particularly lost environment. Also, the idea of wearing a gorilla suit is very strange in our culture, as is being a Christian to some of our extremely worldly friends and neighbors. Having the boldness to wear a pink gorilla suit is like having the boldness to stand up for Christ: you may get laughed at, beat up, or ridiculed for it, but that’s no reason to quit doing what you’re doing.
Now that we understand the pink gorilla suit analogy, let’s see where the discussion will go.
When I spoke earlier about people mimicking their lost friends, I’m sure you instantly thought of someone you know, which is probably not the best thing as this should be more of your own personal reflection, not a time to evaluate the wrongdoings of those around you. I don’t know about you, but if I was around nothing but lost friends, participating in some of the same activities, wouldn’t I start to justify what they do? Naturally, we may tend to participate in more and more of their activities, to the point where we could end up doing things we’ve felt convicted about before without any feeling of conviction now. This list includes: drinking, swearing, smoking (that goes for any substance that can be smoked,) fornication (the big Bible word for doing sexual things that you shouldn’t,) fighting (in no form of self-defense, for those who feel like self-defense is an adequate reason to fight,) and other such sins. It could get worse honestly, depending on the friends. I’m not saying every lost person’s like this, but I am saying that we have to stand firm in our beliefs. If you go into a bar, generally speaking you’ve hurt your testimony, because you’re doing something that’s a stumbling block for many Christians. If you have the appearance of something suspicious going on between you and a girl, and you’re not married to this girl, chances are you’re hurting your testimony. We have to take steps of precaution sometimes to ensure that we don’t become a stumbling block to someone. It’s not our reputation we should be concerned about, but the fact that the possibility of someone thinking we’re doing something wrong and then using that as justification for why they can commit whatever sin they want.
Unfortunately, this issue is tough to discuss. There’s not one way to witness, but there are many ways to fall into sin. It’s ridiculous how quickly we can fall into areas we don’t want to be in. If anyone has ever been in a high school lunch conversation, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. No matter the gender, race, ethnicity, social standings, religious beliefs, moral philosophies, or whatever else, lunch conversations always tend to spiral out of control at an alarming rate. It’s like an open forum for all things dirty. Don’t worry, I won’t take the time to elaborate, especially because anyone who ever ate lunch in groups in high school knows exactly what I’m talking about. I mention the awkward lunch conversations because of their tendency to rope everyone in. They seem innocent at first, with a few light chuckles here and there, and then something outrageously funny, but then they get worse. Sometimes, you’ll find that the conversation has ventured down that dark alley of your past, waiting to lure you back into the sins of former days. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know.
There is hope though. Those times were circumstantial for me. I was there, and it happened. I didn’t really know beforehand, so I couldn’t avoid it. At the same time (sometimes right after the lunch conversation, usually attempting to steer the conversation clear of anything nasty,) this same lunch table was where I really got to preach the Gospel, without changing anything to make it fit some preconceived notion about God or anything like that. I just let the Holy Spirit move my lips. God stirred some hearts at that table, as I slowly found out later on.
The point I’ve been trying to make clear is this: we need to reach out to the lost in any way we can, but we must also be sure that we’re not conforming to fit their agenda instead of fully representing our beliefs. How can we teach the Gospel if we’re too busy getting caught up in the world? Find the balance my friends. It’s like walking on a tight rope some days, but ultimately, we need to reach out, constantly praying that we don’t fall into temptation but instead shine the light of Jesus.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
P.S. 1 John 2:15-17 really sums it up, in case you still question your intentions.
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