Have you ever been to a freak show? I would doubt you have, unless you are mature in years (polite way of saying “old”). I have never been to a real freak show.
Freak shows were popular between the mid 1800’s and the mid 1900’s. They seem to have lost their popularity today… Or have they?
The bearded woman. The extremely short man. The deformed person. Cow with 2 heads. And on and on. (I had to be careful as to which ones I mentioned, as most were gross or offensive. Sorry.)
People would pay to go inside of a tent or room somewhere and see a “freak”. People got a thrill from seeing something that is or was different. Come on, a lady with a beard? Who wouldn’t want to see that? A person with 10 fingers… on one hand. You’re signing up now.
Even though we don’t see freak shows in the same way anymore, and even though they aren’t under the same name. We still have freak shows. If you don’t believe me turn your TV on. Or better yet, walk into a church.
I have met more freaks in the church than I have out. Now, wouldn’t that be a good thing as the church is a “hospital for sinners”? Absolutely! Unfortunately, I am not referring to the normal people. I am referring to the “Christians” who go to church on Sunday morning then transform into totally different people before they hit the restaurant for lunch.
I’m sure you’ve seen this, is it is a freakish thing and quite possibly one of the most amazing things we have seen in real life. This person has one body suit on inside the church and a totally different one outside. They are happy, singing, raising their hands, amen-ing the preacher, dropping money in the plate, crying at the altar and having great spiritual conversations. Then the transformation happens when they walk out the doors. It is kind of like supermans transformation, you see fragments of their old suit laying past the door and in the parking lot as they run into their different life.
“We’re all stars now, in the FREAK show.”
Perhaps this is part of the reason why many churches in America are shrinking. People have gotten bored with the freak show and are looking for something real.
Perhaps people have just realized what is going on and are hacked that we don’t admit it?
I tend to agree with the second speculation. Many people have been entertained over the years with the churches freak show. But, now they want the church to be real. They still like the freak show. But they are sick of it being called something else.
People might attend church for church if we would call it what it is.
I don’t know about you, but I would bet that we all fit in to the freak category in one way or another. The problem is that many of us freaks won’t admit it. We have 10 fingers on one hand and act like we are normal. We try to cover up our deformity’s.
Maybe the church shrinkage would slow or stop if we would admit our freakishness.
What is more important, hiding our deformity or sharing Jesus? Let’s go with option “B”.
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