The Attraction of Authenticity
12-16-07
You might guess that Americans drink a lot of coffee. Any ideas how much we actually consume in America? Americans drink 2.3 billion pounds of the stuff a year, more than any other country in the world. That is one serious beverage addiction.
The market for coffee is extremely competitive in the states and so the federation of coffee growers in Colombia thought long and hard about what to do with Juan Valdez. Any of you know who Juan is? He is the fictional coffee grower who shows up with his trusty mule Conchita. He has been in ads for decades helping to sell "100 percent Columbian coffee." So here is the problem recent surveys have shown that Juan is old and becoming a bit of a joke. Recent ads have even shown him surfing alongside Conchita, and well, he has lost a bit of his authenticity. The National Federation of Coffee growers almost gave up on him until a consultant from Portland Oregon, advised them to hold on to Juan. "Juan Valdez taps into the fundamental human truth," said the consultant, " the things we savor the most are the hardest earned." Maybe Juan still has value, as someone who is dedicated to the hard work of raising coffee by hand. "So the federation of coffee growers decided to introduce a new younger Juan, instead of retiring him. They learned that people emotionally connect with Juan because he seems authentic, and authenticity is a priceless quality."1
It is important to be authentic. Businesses everywhere are sensing that consumers gravitate toward brands that appear to be true and genuine. Pillsbury ads tell you that their products are just like your mom or grandma used to make. Bush’s Baked beans has that old family recipe that has been in the family for generations. Chevrolet makes their trucks like a rock that lasts for generations. Jeep has been around for nearly 100 years and is still a dependable option for all your adventures. Organic foods are flying off the shelves because consumers sense that they are connected to farming practices that are healthy and good. Authenticity is a hot commodity, a good seller, a good way to live life in general. People are attracted to authenticity.
So often however, what we think is true and authentic is shattered by news reports, and/or soured relationships. How do we tell the difference between what is really real and what is pretend real? This was John the Baptist’s concern as he sat locked up in prison for offending King Herod. You might remember that John’s words to those who came to him were not comforting words of promise. Instead John talked a whole lot about sin, repentance and salvation. John describes people using terms such as "brood of vipers." And yet John was extremely attractive to the people. He was different. He didn’t look like any other prophets. We hear that he was pretty wild looking in his clothing of camel skin. He talked with such confidence and authority. He talked differently than the priests in the Jewish temple. John was exciting. And yet there he was in prison, wondering when exactly Jesus was going to lead the people from their sinfulness into redemption. He probably wondered if the words he preached about the Messiah were true. I can imagine when you are in a cell with nothing to do but think, that one may start doubting not only their purpose, but the purpose of the ones around them.
So our scripture tells us that John sent his disciples to Jesus, and they asked him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Matthew 11:3). John needed to know if Jesus was the really-real messiah, or a pretend-real messiah. Some of you might not be aware that there were a whole slew of false messiahs running around the region in John’s day. They all claimed to be God’s sent one. Many of these "Messiahs" led revolts against the Roman Empire. Jesus was not the first one to claim to be a special Son of God. So, we can’t blame John for starting to doubt.
True to the gospels, Jesus does not answer with a simple "yes" or "no". Imagine how many theological debates could have been avoided over the years if Jesus was in the habit of giving direct, simple answers? Jesus instead suggests that John and his disciples look at what is going on around them and make up their own minds. "Go and tell John what you hear and see," says Jesus: "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me" (vv. 4-6). Look at what I am doing, Jesus suggests — then decide for yourself whether I am a really-real Messiah. This is like a coffee federation saying, "Don’t listen to Juan Valdez. Just drink the coffee." Authenticity is to be found in actions, not words — but rarely are people completely confident in the performance of their product.
Fortunately, Jesus didn’t struggle with the whole "actions-matching-words" problem. Gospel story after gospel story tells of the blind, deaf, lame, and dead being healed. Story after story tells of the poor and disenfranchised receiving promise and hope. Jesus is not just talking the talk; he’s walking the walk. His actions are proving that he’s really-real, not pretend-real. Jesus, as John is assured, is the Authentic Messiah. Jesus then gives credit to John the Baptist for his own authenticity. "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?" he asks the crowd. "Someone dressed in soft robes?" Jesus is mocking those who hiked into the wilderness to hear the preaching of John the Baptist, only to be offended by his clothing of camel’s hair, his leather belt and his 100% organic locust and wild honey diet. "Look," says Jesus, "those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces" (Matthew 11:7-8). But John is a prophet, He is "the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you’" (v. 10). John fulfills his mission by calling people to repentance, and baptizing them to cleanse them of their sins. So Jesus is not the only really-real person in this passage of Scripture. John the Baptist is authentic as well — he is the Authentic Messenger. But notice the surprising comment that Jesus makes next: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11). John is great, but Jesus predicts that he will have some Authentic Disciples who will surpass even John the Baptist in their faithfulness and effectiveness.
So what does an Authentic Disciple of an Authentic Messiah look like and act like? I think authentic disciples have a sense of place. I think to be an authentic disciple you have to know the story of Bethlehem and Nazareth, Judea and Galilee, and know how those stories still have power for the modern day disciple. We need to remember that Jesus did his work in a particular place and time and we must know about his context to get the full meaning of his life and work in today’s context.
Secondly, I think authenticity demands a larger purpose. If you want to be an Authentic Disciple, you have to look beyond your own interests and focus on the interests of Jesus and the larger interests of God. If we search scripture, we should be able to distinguish some of those priorities. We could also think of this in terms of a company’s purpose. For instance, Whole Foods Markets are not only popular for their wide variety of organic foods, their "purpose" is to change the way the world eats. There must be some larger purpose that moves beyond a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That personal relationship is a spring board, a solid base, a starting point.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, authenticity involves integrity. Here is an example again from the corporate world: When McDonald’s launched its "We love to see you smile" campaign, critics shook their heads in disgust, saying that filthy restrooms and crabby counter clerks turned the motto into a joke."2 In order for a company or a person to be authentic, there has to be a match between words and actions — there has to be integrity.
I can imagine as Mary and Joseph and all the people of Israel welcomed a newborn Jesus into the world, they hoped that he would be different. They hoped that he would lead a revolution that wouldn’t fade. Little did they know that he would lead a spiritual transformation that is still transforming today; a spiritual transformation that is lead by authentic disciples that are challenged to talk the talk, and walk the walk. As we rediscover hope, and live in God’s grace this season, let us move through each day with an authenticity that is grounded in the story and life of Jesus, full of purpose, and is derived from a place of true integrity. Amen.
Blessings,
Melissa