Reality Bites

Ouch! The real world hurts. Sometimes the truth hurts but it can be good. Recently, I heard some interesting comments. You know, I’m somebody who gets inspired by stuff I read and people I hang out with. They can be from all walks of life. Here’s some of what was said.

A good friend told me this story. John (not his real name) is a guitar player in some church. He has a habit of criticizing fellow guitar players. This one criticism stood out for me. John slammed a famous guitarist who’s one of the top session players in the local scene, saying he can’t play jazz. My friend told him, “This famous guy makes more money than you playing popular music. Does that bother you?”

Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul drummer) said something like he came to a point where he realized you can be the best drummer in the world but it’s pointless if people don’t know you. He then sought to further his contacts to get more gigs and eventually was hired by Collective Soul.

Someone told me Joseph Prince always preaches the same message about grace. I told him thousands are saved through his preaching. His church recently saw the attendance rocket by a few thousand in one week. Many people around the world have testified how his grace message has transformed their lives for the better, mine included.

I’ve heard preaching before that’s very deep. Imagine something like “reverence for divine authority at the expense of rational inquiry...”

Sounds deep, but who cares? Paul says, “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 2:4).

Indeed, reality bites.