Perhaps you, like I, received a forward in your email box encouraging you to boycott Starbuck's. I'm not here to tell you where you should or shouldn't drink your coffee. But one of the points of objection struck me.
They quoted one of those "The Way I See It" that someone had written about heaven. Here it is,
Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can’t wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell.
-- Joel Stein, columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
Evidently somebody, somewhere, decided this was an anti-God statement and got spooked. And now decided that Starbuck's is the anti-Christ and has forbidden all 'good Christians' to take their business elsewhere. God forbid we drink a coffee with sinners - though Jesus drank wine at a crazy week long wedding ceremony with heathen - but whatever.
Anyways, this little blip on a cup... I'm kinda with the guy. I think the religious church has painted this gay little picture of heaven and really who would want to go there, if you were REALLY honest? I personally think, heaven will be amazing - not anything like this guy describes, as it was described to him by some 'Christian' one day.
I think we live in a tough, raw generation who isn't satisfied with 'a step above hell' kind of heaven. Great thing is, neither is God. He's not just a 'little bit better than' - He's soooo much more big, and real and awesome than anything else we know!
Something else I think about God. He's not afraid of someone voicing their opinion, even if it isn't truth. God is looking for seekers. And anyone who even thinks about heaven, qualifies as a seeker to me. I think God is looking for a people who aren't afraid of someone who doesn't understand, who has doubts, who doesn't know the truth. A people who would possibly engage in conversation, over a cup of coffee, and point a seeking person to the Truth.
We won't revolutionize the world by boycotting every business in a America. We won't transform America by not conversing with (gasp) a sinner who says what he thinks. It's time we quit making fools of ourselves by freaking out and hiding from 'the world'. And it's time to stand up and make the name of Jesus known, to a generation who really wants to know there's Something worth living for. They're really desperate, people. Yet we hide in a Christian coffee shop while they go on living a lost and hopeless existence - and ultimately end up in eternity without their Creator. Nice.
Anyways, this little blip on a cup... I'm kinda with the guy. I think the religious church has painted this gay little picture of heaven and really who would want to go there, if you were REALLY honest? I personally think, heaven will be amazing - not anything like this guy describes, as it was described to him by some 'Christian' one day.
I think we live in a tough, raw generation who isn't satisfied with 'a step above hell' kind of heaven. Great thing is, neither is God. He's not just a 'little bit better than' - He's soooo much more big, and real and awesome than anything else we know!
Something else I think about God. He's not afraid of someone voicing their opinion, even if it isn't truth. God is looking for seekers. And anyone who even thinks about heaven, qualifies as a seeker to me. I think God is looking for a people who aren't afraid of someone who doesn't understand, who has doubts, who doesn't know the truth. A people who would possibly engage in conversation, over a cup of coffee, and point a seeking person to the Truth.
We won't revolutionize the world by boycotting every business in a America. We won't transform America by not conversing with (gasp) a sinner who says what he thinks. It's time we quit making fools of ourselves by freaking out and hiding from 'the world'. And it's time to stand up and make the name of Jesus known, to a generation who really wants to know there's Something worth living for. They're really desperate, people. Yet we hide in a Christian coffee shop while they go on living a lost and hopeless existence - and ultimately end up in eternity without their Creator. Nice.
6 comments:
I didn't get that forward but probably would have puked upon opening it.
May I never be too afraid of someone boldly and violently opposing my point of view or my God. If I cower down in the comfortable cushy atmosphere now, I'm not going to make it when it really starts coming down and if it were possible even the elect will be swayed. I don't want to just be a resister but redeemed and full of the power of the spirit. Fearless in love.
Keep on ranting sis. You're gonna get that religion chipped away from all of us! :)
As always, I am in full agreement with you. It's funny because I had that cup with that quote, and I agreed with him. There's a whole lot of the Christian community tired to death of boring, Puritan-style religiosity and they are chasing a walk with God that looks different than past traditions. Why is it that people feel the need to fear that which they believe to be wrong? In this case, I don't believe anything is wrong with Starbucks (quite the contrary, actually), but even if I did, what kind of good do we do by hiding in a safe little corner?
So all that to say...I agree. :-)
Apparently I don't frequent Starbucks enough to know there were quotes on cups. I spose I'll have to go more often to check it out. A sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I clicked on the link you provided. Starbucks said they have "always supported a good, healthy discussion." They say that they have the quotes on cups in order "to get people talking."
What a POWERFUL tool that cup quote could be if we allowed ourselves to get talking with people about it! It could be the spark that leads someone to the REAL Heaven!
Preach-on sister! Yep, what a yucky place we've made heaven out to be. It does sound horribly boring. No wonder the lost think its all a big waste! How sad that we've (believers in general) have painted such a dull picture when in reality its full of mystery and God's undescribable presence! That just goes to show that ignorance shouldn't be touted. I can't stop thinking about the description in Revelation 4.... but do I know it well enough to passionately describe it to someone in the midst of their upset? I would hate to hear someone's saddened view of God and leave it at that.
God, help me hide Your word in my heart and fully submit to Your Spirit's leading at all times!!
ha - that was EXACTLY what I thought of heaven... though I didn't want to go to hell, I sure wasn't that excited about heaven... all the excitement seemed like it was down here on earth...
But God is gracious enough to give us glimpses now and then to make us yearn for the REAL life... with him and the harps :)
What? No harps? Isn't there a country song that says "if there's no beer in heaven I'm not going" or something like that? That's my dad's motto... and how many women say the same thing about chocolate? Dirty sinners.. how dare they! BLASPHEME!
I'm with you... heaven will be so far beyond the scope of our earthly comprehension, it's pointless to speculate.
Oh how we Christians damage our own witness by our odd and pointless tangents (and yes, I'm guilty of a few tangents myself). ~Karlie
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