As I get ready to head off to Dragon Con I have been
reading the posts on the Dragon Con Facebook page. There were several posts about the people
with megaphones yelling at you to repent or go to hell. There was also a post about conservative
relatives believing that it is “Satan Con”.
That made me very sad.
I don’t
believe that either of those groups really represent what Jesus would want or
do. First, the only people that Jesus
got really mad at were the Pharisees, because they judged others and heaped
extra rules that no one could follow onto the people. Jesus didn’t come for the ultra-religious
judgmental people. Jesus came for the
sinners and the outcasts. Jesus came for
everyday people.
Their
biggest argument is that Dragon Con is just a big party. Everyone is drinking and partying all
weekend… Ummm they must have missed John Chapter 2. Jesus went to a wedding in Cana. He had started calling disciples but hadn’t
really started teaching and hadn’t done any miracles yet. Now a Jewish wedding lasted 3 or 4 days! It was feasting, dancing, and drinking. It was a multi-day party. Jesus, his family and the disciples all were
there. It was a BAD thing for one of
these parties to run out of wine. It
would be mortifying for the couple. Jesus’
friends ran out of wine. So, what is
Jesus’ first miracle? It isn’t healing
or raising someone from the dead. Jesus
made 20 to 30 gallons of wine. You heard
me, twenty to thirty GALLONS so that the party could go on. Jesus wouldn’t bat an eye at a four to five
day party.
Jesus was
always talking to crowds of excited people.
They would travel for miles and wait in the hot sun just to hear
him. Thousands of people would gather. I think Jesus would fit right in at Dragon
Con. Except that he would never make you
empty the room so they could get ready for the next panel. He would just miraculously make it so that
everyone who wanted to come hear him would fit in the room. If he went too long so that the food court
was closed, he would multiply con snacks that we were carrying, and everyone
would eat their fill. OK, I may be
getting a bit silly with this one…
But I
believe that not only would come to Dragon Con.
I believe he does… And I am not talking about the awesome Jesus Cosplay
that I saw last year. Since Jesus went
back into heaven, we are called to be his body.
We are his hands and feet here on earth.
So, when Geeks of Faith gather at Dragon Con, Jesus is there.
So, when
that person threw a chair off the balcony hitting an innocent young woman,
Jesus was there in the concern showed to her by her fellow con goers. It was shown in the care of the paramedics
and hospital staff. Jesus was there in
how everyone rallied around her. Some of
us prayed for her well-being.
So, this
Dragon Con there is one way to be sure that Jesus is there. Be his hands and feet. Say a kind word to the tired volunteer trying
to make the lines go smoothly. Hold the
door for the person in the heavy costume.
Let the person in the wheelchair have your spot in the elevator. Ask someone to share your table in the food
court. Be kind, compassionate, patient,
accepting, and show unconditional love to your fellow human beings next
weekend.
Oh, and
there is no need to yell at the misguided people with their signs and
megaphones. I feel sorry for them,
because they totally missed what Jesus was trying to do here on earth. Our kindness and gentleness may even help
them see Jesus next weekend! See you
there!
