Jesus in conversation

Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that I love a good cigar. I also enjoy smoking a pipe. Last fall, I had to give up my occasional smoke-break, though. I signed a contract with Christian Heritage and promised I wouldn't smoke. I'm sure the rule was designed with cigarette smokers in mind. After all, the school is a non-smoking building. And CHS is a non-denominational institution, so at some level, they need to appeal to the lowest common denominator on things like this. I'm sure there are some fundamentalists out there who would pull their kids out of school if they found out a part-time teacher like me enjoyed a good puff now and then.

When it came time to sign the contract, I could've made a stink about Christian liberty, and about how smoking an occasional cigar is hardly sinful. I could've even pulled out the big guns - the fact that C.S. Lewis was a smoker! But I didn't do any of those things, since I was so thankful for the teaching opportunity.

Still, I do miss my cigars and pipes. When I was in college, smoking cigars was about more than just tobacco. Going for a smoke was about a change of scenery, and about sneaking away with some of the guys for honest conversation. Sometimes it was silly talk. Sometimes it was serious. But it was always honest. I remember intense conversations about girls, life, God, and the nature of the universe. I can recall sitting at Tuck's Point for hours without ever once considering that there was somewhere else we could be.

After college, smoking a cigar continued to be about honest conversation, except it was now usually sans the guys. Instead, the activity became a time to talk with God. The fraternity of my college days morphed into something even more intimate - a time to walk outside and be honest with God. It also became a time for listening and hearing from Him. I would often come back from a smoke recharged and energized for whatever struggles I was facing. And, even if I didn't come back with answers, it just felt good to talk to God privately for the length of time it took for the ash to reach the ring on my Punch.

If tobacco had been around in Israel 2,000 years ago, I think Jesus would've been a cigar or pipe smoker. After all, knowing that He was going to die at 33, He really didn't need to worry about His health. Okay. . . Maybe not. But he certainly understood honest conversation. Reading through the Gospels, it's hard to go more than a few pages without finding Jesus engaged in a one-on-one conversation with someone. And it wasn't light chit-chat either - He talked about the most important and heavy topic of all - the gospel.

A few months back, I wrote an article for the Burnside Writers Collective called, "The Magic Words Jesus Didn't Use." It was all about how Jesus never gave a gospel-presentation the same way twice. He talked to one woman about living water. Then, to a tax collector, He invited Himself over for lunch. He talked about the need to be born again in one context, and in another, the need to sell all your possessions and give to the poor.

As I study Jesus, I can't help but wonder why his conversations about the gospel often sound at odds with many of our modern methods of evangelism. We talk about the Sinner's Prayer, and about accepting Him into one's heart. We talk about grace and faith, but rarely about the need to give anything up. We say that Jesus is the only way, but to where? If salvation is just about escaping hell, why did Jesus make it so personal? There just seems to be a disconnect between the gospel Jesus talked about and the gospel many people talk about today.

It was with this in mind that, several months ago, I began writing. At first, it just started out as some thoughts on paper gleaned from the conversations of Jesus in Scripture. As I worked on it, though, it became clear that Jesus used different words and different approaches because the gospel is intricately beautiful, and because it has the power to reach people at their greatest point of need. The gospel is not a four-point tract, nor is it a static religious statement. It's good news that can only be received in conversation with Jesus.

After months of writing and editing and having folks I trust read chapter selections, the book is just about done. I call it The Jesus Sessions: Rediscovering the Complex Beauty of the Gospel (or How the Gospel Is more like Geometry than Algebra). Each chapter focuses on a personal conversation that Jesus had. The Gospel stories are retold to bring out a fuller picture of the

original context. I also weave personal stories and anecdotes throughout. Obviously, I'd love to be able to get it published. (If anyone out there can help me do that, I'd appreciate any assistance I can get.) But my hope is that the simple stories contained in the book will help people to think about the nature of salvation and the nature of Jesus' mission on earth. And more importantly, I hope people who read it begin looking for opportunities to have their own conversations with Jesus.