Theologically, You Have More in Common Than You Think

By John Gocke

When I was younger, I used to read Conan the Barbarian, paperbacks. (I was slowly working my way up to novels like War and Peace.) For the uninitiated, Conan was a savage barbarian of gigantic strength and ability, in ancient fantasy times, who wandered the globe, trying to stay alive and falling into adventures. Some of you have likely seen the movies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger or have even read some of the original books from the 1920s and ’30s, by Robert E. Howard. Conan books are still thriving today and are written by a number of different authors with various levels of skill. On one occasion, I read one of the series that was a real pearl in a sea of muck. An archaeologist/historian who really knew a great deal about ancient cultures, weapon construction, and polytheistic religions, wrote this edition.

The author commented on the history and culture of Conan’s people and how that affected the way Conan viewed the world. Clashes between characters of different belief systems made more sense. The reader could then understand characters as good and bad and what motivated them in their lifestyles and actions. The author gave life and meaning to the people and groups in the book. Books I had read previously about Conan were filled with one-dimensional characters and flat, generic plots. Conan would often wander into a tough situation and have to kill sorceresses, bad guys, and devilish minions. At the end, some female would gratefully throw herself at Conan’s feet—very shallow but entertaining.

Genesis 2:7 says:
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

God is often referred to as the Author of Life, because God has the ability to take anything or anyone and make him or her into a living being—just like the author did to the Conan character in my paperback. Kids in your youth group, vast numbers of people walking by you on the street, coworkers sitting in the next cubicle, and even people singing behind you in church are often “one-dimensional characters.” These people are waiting for the right Author to come along and breathe life into them. They are just dying to have meat grow on their bones.

Many of you may think that this assessment applies just to outreach—to those who have not met the Author of Life—but it also applies to those of us who minister to youth. It is written in John 10:10 that God wants us to not only have life but have it abundantly. Often pastors and lay youth workers are the first to deflate into flat characters ,devoid of life, simply going through the motions of ministering to others as an arduous duty to the Lord.

When the wrong author is composing a Conan story, it is a waste of paper. When it is not God composing our personal story, it is a waste of life. If we let fear, pride, or other people write the story, then we suffer.

Success in serving and connecting to our heavenly Author is not in the size of our accomplishments but in the depth of our character. As long as we focus on that, we are playing our part in the history of the kingdom of heaven.

John Gocke is a veteran of youth ministry, having worked in various churches in Southern California and for Al Menconi Ministries, based in Carlsbad, California. John holds an MA in Theology from Point Loma Nazarene University and currently works on the staff of www.ileadyouth.com.

Other articles by John Gocke:
Eleven Signs of a Successful Youth Minister.
Dealing with sharing your office.
Christian Pirates?
Saying what you really think!
Cures for the Summertime Attendance Slump
Going Back in Time
The Epic Struggle Between Youth Pastors and Senior Pastors
You and Conan the Barbarian
A King Josiah-Kind of Christian
Fantasizing About Violence: Violent Video Games Promote Aggressive Behavior In Youth
Chico the Roach
Are you a Batman or Superman Christian?
Ten Skills They Don’t Teach You in Seminary
Teach your youth grace-not just mercy this Christmas
Five reasons you should encourage your youth to experience Christian music
Secular prophets in the business world and their lessons for us
Hollywood Secrets for Your Next Youth Meeting

Brought to you by your youth ministry colleagues at Cokesbury.

Would you like to submit your own article? Click here for our online form.