Living Onstage

Our television culture seems to be flooded with reality shows these days. It seems like anything and everything (or everyone) can be turned into a reality show. I am sure that you have more than once been like me and questioned: “Aren’t there any other ideas out there for shows other than following people around with a camera?!” Well, imagine for a second if we, as Christians, were on our own reality show! But the truth is, we already are! See, as Christians, our lives our constantly onstage. How? Simply in the matter that people outside the Church are always looking at us, eager to see what this Jesus is all about!

We now take one final trip to the Magic Kingdom and discover the lessons that Walt Disney World can offer for us as we try to build God’s Kingdom. And what we discover is this idea of living onstage. See, Walt Disney World prides itself on creating an environment that helps you forget the outside world and all that is going on in it and in your lives, even if only for a few hours. How do they do this? Well, their cast members do their jobs like they are constantly onstage…like they are performing for everyone! After all, they are always being watched.

We, as Christians, would do well to remember this truth. If we want to make disciples and bring others into a real and living relationship with Christ, we need to show others what God’s Love is all about. And the way we do this is by being servants, like we read in the Gospel of John, as Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. This involves realizing that we are constantly being watched; thus we need to put others before ourselves. As we “live onstage,” we need to have authentic integrity, show good character, and act with respect. All of this leads to a spirit of servanthood, and in so doing, we can bring others to know Christ. And if we do this, we truly are using the lessons of the Magic Kingdom to help build God’s Kingdom!