12 February: From All Sides

I learned about two incredible things over the last week and I suggest you invest yourself fully into both of them. First, I just discovered that England’s parliamentary system has a constitutional convention called Prime Minister’s Questions (cleverly shorthanded as PMQ). You should catch one (or both) of the weekly airings on C-SPAN (http://www.c-span.org/Series/Prime-Minister-Questions.aspx). Here’s why: Prime Minister Gordon Brown. For half an hour every week, Brown fields questions from any member of the House of Commons on whatever issue they choose and it can get intense.

Reasons to watch it: British wit, the charming formality, and the PM’s savvy at responding to each inquiry. The PMQ allows for Members of Parliament to bring the concerns of their constituents to the Prime Minister and directly question him on governmental practices. At one moment, Brown may take a question on inheritance tax and the next might be called upon to defend the equipping (or lack thereof) of deployed troops. Each time a question is through, Brown leaps up in response with a historical precedent, a recent survey, or a quote from opposing party members (all while members in the room cheer key points or ‘bah’ the poor ones). Watching those 30 minutes is as enjoyable as professional sports or a great movie and, while Brown may not satisfy all inquiries, his poise, intelligent responses, speed, and winsomeness leave little doubt as to who the Prime Minister is.

The second thing I learned concerns the historical precedent for Paul’s picture of the “belt of truth” in Eph. 6:14. Probably like you, I learned that ‘truth’ is what holds the sword’s scabbard and is essential to keeping the armor together. What I did not know is that a Roman soldier would use this belt to tuck in his skirt when he went into battle. While this would make him look like he was going to war in full armor and a diaper, it would also pull up the dangling ends to prevent them getting caught on something in the field or in the hands of an enemy. Paul’s exhortation may have been that, as one who is doing war in the King’s ranks, you should not have any part of your life which you’ve not personally secured in truth. This means that anything from your leisure to your view of the inspiration of the Bible should not dangle about, open to dragging or slowing you down.

What impressed me about Gordon Brown’s deftness in the House of Commons is that he never was caught off guard, regardless of the direction from which a question came; the times I’ve watched him, he’s been mastered neither by opponent nor problem. Brown seems that way and, come to think of it, Jesus is that way in the Gospels. He never fell to a question and often silenced his questioners. No loose ends. No vulnerable spots. No unchecked part of life or perspective on life. Just readiness, tact, and graciousness regardless of opponent, irrespective of the problem. One of my favorite things said about William Wallace in Braveheart was that he seemed impossible to trap, as if he had an extra sense capable of detecting ambush. Is there any part of your daily living or outlook on life which could get caught up by a piercing question or unexpected problem? If so, grab hold and tuck it in.

Journaling Questions: Pause and think about what the belt of truth means. In your own words, write out what Paul means by it. Now, what (if any) parts of your life needs tucking in? What is the first step you should take to tuck it in?

13 February: Market Research

Last Christmas Eve, I found myself talking with a friendly young man who introduced himself as Spike. Dapper in appearance and enjoyable to talk with, Spike fielded the usual get-to-know-you questions of place of residence (Greenville, SC), schooling (Baylor), and occupation (marketing with Brains on Fire), but you can’t say that you work for a company like Brains on Fire (www.brainsonfire.com) without elaborating a little. Brains on Fire is a marketing firm which implements the tried and true idea of getting to know your customer, but adds a new twist: they begin every marketing strategy by working in their client’s facility for at least two weeks. They want to get to know their clients from the inside out, shoulder to shoulder. Following this, they seek out the sorts of people who give their clients a glance and try to discover what sort of communities they form. In so doing, they hope to track what grabs the customer so as to help form a bond to the company which exceeds mere economics to the level of fanlike loyalty. They sum up their strategy as follows:

The question isn’t “what can we sell this person?” It’s “what can we do to keep this person and make them even happier?” So we hereby present the cycle (i.e., marketing strategy) that takes a customer to fandom. From like to love. From transaction to relationship. From you (i.e., your organization) being just another, to the one.

Now, the previous post looked at Gordon Brown’s ability to field questions concerning Britons in each district of England. One of the fantastic things about his responses is that they were not only factual, but they conveyed a sincere appreciation for the constituent’s interests. Brown got amongst the people (by proxy, for sure) to learn the questions they were asking and to find out how to best package the answers. This isn’t new, though; Paul did the very same thing.

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ... To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” (1 Cor. 9:19-23; ESV)

Just like Brains on Fire, he knew that to communicate with people on the outside, he had to get inside their world. So, let me ask you:
- What are the things your non-Christian neighbors are talking about in their leisurely hours?
- What are they worried about?
- When is the last time you did something for them or asked for their expertise on something?

Can you answer any of these questions? If you can, it’s because you’ve gotten to know your neighbors and freed them up to ask questions to get to know you. We should be ready with an answer (like Gordon Brown), but we have to be aware of what concerns them, too.

Brains on Fire gained notoriety because they have go out and among their clients (and clients’ clients) to discover what mattered to them. They have succeeded in helping organizations communicate to potential customers that they were worth joining; but they had to seek out people to know.

I think you get the point.

Journaling: Write out the name of one non-Christian neighbor (in a loose sense of the term) and what he/she cares about. Then write out a prayer for that person.