Evangelizing a Good Cause

I stopped by Tony Morgan's blog this afternoon and saw an interview with Guy Kawasaki, the original "Apple evangelist." I've read several of Guy's books and regularly check his blog, Signal Without Noise, which mostly deals with issues related to technology, marketing, and business in general.

Here is an exchange between Tony and Guy that cracked me up.

Tony: I don't own an Apple computer. I feel like I'm missing out. Am I?

Guy: This is like me asking you, "I don't believe in God. Am I missing out?"

Later, Tony asked Guy what makes a good evangelist. Guy responded, "90% is having a good cause. It's very easy to evangelize a good cause. It's hard to evangelize crap."

It's easy to evangelize the Macintosh, because it is so obviously superior to anything else on the market, except to the unfortunate lemming masses. The Mac is most definitely a good--yes, noble--cause, which is why I've been evangelizing it since 1988, when I joined the Enlightened Minority.

Evangelizing for Christ is certainly a good cause (not to mention a requirement of disciples). If we could just point people to Christ, that would be fine. But Christ is all wrapped up in Christianity, Christians, and the church, and that muddies the cause with, uh, crap. When you talk about Christ with people, sometimes all they see is condemning attitudes, boring services, legalism, Sunday Christians who engage in office lewd jokes during the week, the Bush Administration, and Trinity Broadcasting Network idiots with big hair and makeup so thick it requires a putty knife and chisel to remove.

Here's a quote from Kawasaki's wonderful book Selling the Dream. "Evangelists are usually ordinary people. Their passion for a cause makes them special. Gifted people can make good evangelists, but they often fail because they concentrate on selling themselves and not the cause."

I guess in the church we often err by selling ourselves--our church, our music, our okayness with bluejeans, our friendliness, our pastor--rather than selling Christ.

Posted on October 20, 2006 04:19 PM|

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