And Now for Something Completely Different
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:49 am
Hello, folks. A few nights ago I had a bit of an urge to watch my favorite clips from Monty Python. First one I searched for was the popular "Nudge Nudge" skit. As I watched, I noticed that there were several things that reminded me a lot of how Christians and non-Believers generally interact with each other. With those things I observed, it got me thinking of how it can give us Believers a better understanding of how and why those who don't believe view us and how we can better establish communication with them and eventually present the message of the Gospel to them.
First off, in case you're not familiar with the "Nudge Nudge" skit, you can view it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT3_UCm1A5I Next, I'll give a list of the things I observed in the order they are played out within the skit and also how this can be applied to us as Believers.
1: The skit takes place in a public area. The man with the hat, played by Terry Jones, is minding his own business and buying himself a drink. The man in the background, Eric Idle, notices him among the crowd of customers and tries to get his attention. How this applies to Christians is that most of the time, we're out in the real world, usually doing things that constitute for us a normal routine, and over time, someone we probably are not even aware of, notices something about us that stands out among other people around us.
2. After catching his eye, Terry Jones silently leads and invites Eric Idle to follow him to a booth and lets him sit beside him, even though the skit implies he doesn't know him. We as Believers ought to be friendly to other people around us, whether we're acquainted with them or not.
3. Eric Idle opens the conversation with a question about a particular topic (in the case of the skit, it's sex). Sometimes a non-Believer will ask questions about certain things to break the ice and get a conversation going, and eventually, a lot of the time they will zero in on a particular subject.
4. While Terry Jones doesn't understand what Eric Idle is driving at, he still politely answers the questions and tries to lead the conversation to the point where he understands what is being talked about. The same is true sometimes when we share our faith with others. A lot of times we'll have people go from one topic to another that is seemingly unrelated. Still, we're to be polite and try to keep the conversation open while slowly finding out what the other person is driving at.
5. Eric Idle takes the answers to his questions and weaves them into what he appears to be driving at, which leaves Terry Jones a bit more confused. Again, this can happen a lot when sharing your faith. People will ask a deep or though-provoking question, and take your answer to support their train of thought or (in many cases) argument.
6. Terry Jones finally takes charge and asks the reason for the whole conversation while still being civil. Sometimes we have to step and lead the conversation to where the other person needs to confess what their questions or arguments are all about. Also, we shouldn't use an approach that gives the other person the impression that the door is closed. In the skit, Terry Jones isn't ending the conversation but rather moving it in another direction, granted, the one he tried to lead it to earlier on.
7. Eric Idle finally admits that he's curious about something Terry Jones knows about very well that he has no knowledge of. In time, the person will share that they've concluded something about you that stands out and will show genuine curiosity.
8. In conclusion, Eric Idle gave the impression that he knew everything about the topic the conversation was centered around, including lingo and related gestures. But once Terry Jones asked him what he really wanted from the whole conversation, the gimmicks disappeared and he humbly asked "What's it like?". The same is true for those who don't believe. Many times we come across people who know the right phrases in regards to Christianity and look like they know everything about it. But oftentimes when it comes down to it, they're really curious about what it's like.
And that, my friends, is a lesson from Monty Python. Thanks for taking the time to read it
.
First off, in case you're not familiar with the "Nudge Nudge" skit, you can view it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT3_UCm1A5I Next, I'll give a list of the things I observed in the order they are played out within the skit and also how this can be applied to us as Believers.
1: The skit takes place in a public area. The man with the hat, played by Terry Jones, is minding his own business and buying himself a drink. The man in the background, Eric Idle, notices him among the crowd of customers and tries to get his attention. How this applies to Christians is that most of the time, we're out in the real world, usually doing things that constitute for us a normal routine, and over time, someone we probably are not even aware of, notices something about us that stands out among other people around us.
2. After catching his eye, Terry Jones silently leads and invites Eric Idle to follow him to a booth and lets him sit beside him, even though the skit implies he doesn't know him. We as Believers ought to be friendly to other people around us, whether we're acquainted with them or not.
3. Eric Idle opens the conversation with a question about a particular topic (in the case of the skit, it's sex). Sometimes a non-Believer will ask questions about certain things to break the ice and get a conversation going, and eventually, a lot of the time they will zero in on a particular subject.
4. While Terry Jones doesn't understand what Eric Idle is driving at, he still politely answers the questions and tries to lead the conversation to the point where he understands what is being talked about. The same is true sometimes when we share our faith with others. A lot of times we'll have people go from one topic to another that is seemingly unrelated. Still, we're to be polite and try to keep the conversation open while slowly finding out what the other person is driving at.
5. Eric Idle takes the answers to his questions and weaves them into what he appears to be driving at, which leaves Terry Jones a bit more confused. Again, this can happen a lot when sharing your faith. People will ask a deep or though-provoking question, and take your answer to support their train of thought or (in many cases) argument.
6. Terry Jones finally takes charge and asks the reason for the whole conversation while still being civil. Sometimes we have to step and lead the conversation to where the other person needs to confess what their questions or arguments are all about. Also, we shouldn't use an approach that gives the other person the impression that the door is closed. In the skit, Terry Jones isn't ending the conversation but rather moving it in another direction, granted, the one he tried to lead it to earlier on.
7. Eric Idle finally admits that he's curious about something Terry Jones knows about very well that he has no knowledge of. In time, the person will share that they've concluded something about you that stands out and will show genuine curiosity.
8. In conclusion, Eric Idle gave the impression that he knew everything about the topic the conversation was centered around, including lingo and related gestures. But once Terry Jones asked him what he really wanted from the whole conversation, the gimmicks disappeared and he humbly asked "What's it like?". The same is true for those who don't believe. Many times we come across people who know the right phrases in regards to Christianity and look like they know everything about it. But oftentimes when it comes down to it, they're really curious about what it's like.
And that, my friends, is a lesson from Monty Python. Thanks for taking the time to read it
.