A Different Drummer Boy

I couldn’t believe what I wasn’t seeing. His name is Liu Bolin…and my guess is that you’re about to say, “Wow!” when you see this. See, Liu has made a living at conforming. I sawthis picture (also below this email) and actually couldn’t figure out what I was looking at. Simply put, he’s a man who’s made a fortune completely blending in with his surroundings. Similar to the character Leonard, in the film, “Zelig,” where the main character is basically a chameleon, he changes color, accent, and even shape as the world around him changes. He has no ideas of his own; he simply conforms. He wants only to be safe, to fit in, and to be liked. Suffocated by a need to please others, and driven by their acceptance and approval, Zelig, like many of us at times, allows the fear of human disapproval to drive him. Contrast this to the liberating words of Paul, boldly saying, “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God.” Romans 12:2 Wanna break that down?” Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it, unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down.” The Message 12:2

One thing’s for certain: Put Jesus and His guys in a crowd, and you’ll definitely never hear someone say, “I can’t tell who’s who here.” His actions, His presence, and His life would stand out in such fearless “otherness,” that there’d be no question of who He’s living to please. Our call, now, is to allow the liberating and piercing power in the truth of His words, to transform us to His likeness. And then we’ve simply got to reach out to those in need. These go hand in hand.

You may be invited to dinners, parties, and functions this season. You and I have an awesome opportunity each moment: radical, revolutionary faith…or the draining conformity to public opinion. Dare to be different. May the love of Jesus, compassion for your neighbor, and the power of Jesus Christ flow through you richly. Liu…thanks for the life illustrations.