Missing My Moment

Do ever wish you could have a do-over? Man, I really feel like I missed a moment at Awaken yesterday.

I had a chance to speak on day one and will post this talk next week sometime (along with a few thoughts I forgot to mention), and then yesterday I was able to be on a panel with some really top notch writers, thinkers, and communicators who tend to write alot about evangelism. I really have liked getting to know these guys. Some I met for the first time whereas others I have known for awhile. They all seem to have a genuine passion for loving others and helping others do the same.

Erwin’s first question for us was: “You have all written books about evangelism, why should we buy your book?” In the two minutes we each had to share I mentioned that Peppermint-Filled Pinatas is about embracing the people Christians “love to hate.” I also mentioned that it has sold several million fewer than the books by Lee Strobel, Mark Mittelberg, Dan Kimball, and Rick McKinley combined. I was trying to be succinct, funny, and honestly I was a bit uncomfortable when asked to promote my book. You don’t want to sound arrogant or like the speaker who quotes himself constantly.

As the conversation continued on our panel, Mark brought up that it takes 85 people at a church to reach one person. Erwin pointed out that this is misleading since really 84 people didn’t do anything while 1 person truly served, loved, and reached another person. Mark then mentioned his desire to train the other 84. I felt that training wasn’t going to help because many of these people aren’t reaching anyone because they aren’t caring about anyone.

After the panel was over, I had a thought I wish I had shared, but the moment had passed.

The books these guys have written on apologetics are helpful and needed, but I realized the uniqueness of my book in that moment.

I wrote my book attempting to help people who follow God actually love those who do not.

I do go into sharing how to serve, love, and even reach people from different ethnic backgrounds, from different religious perspectives, from different socio-economic places, from different political persuasions, and even from different lifestyles, but the heart of the book is moving people to care about those around them.

Now, I haven’t read any of the recent books these guys have written, so theirs could include this as well. Even still, I wish I would have conveyed that. Not just to get more people to buy the book and in turn help more people reach out to their neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family, but to better articulate what I was actually trying to do!

I also forgot to mention my book is about creating a diverse community and shares alot about what I have learned at Mosaic about loving, serving, and reaching others.

Oh well, there is always my blog to set the record straight! 🙂

Check out others blogging about Awaken: Darren, Jumaine, DJ, Renee, Mike, and Scott at the Awaken blog.