There’s a program on TV called Pawn Stars. It chronicles the day to day business of a large, busy pawn shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pawn shops are fascinating because of the wide variety of objects that can be found within them. Pawn Stars focuses on those items, exploring their history, value and whether or not they are actually what the owners claim they are. As a gadget lover, I love that process of discernment and explanation.
The four guys that run the store are pretty interesting, as are the folks that come to pawn or sell their items, but the strength of the show is the focus on the items. Rather than descend into a human freak show exposing the follies and foibles of humanity, Pawn Stars entertains by educating, and keeps from being boring by the way the stars of the show explore the value and truth of the items that are offered.
The success of Pawn Stars has spawned a similar program, but this one focuses more on the people than the products. I like people. I like hearing their stories and being invited into their lives. Not all stories are pretty, not all stories are tragic, but all stories are interesting to me, and I try to treat everyone I meet with dignity and respect.
This new program uses a kind of freak show approach rather than telling human stories, so I won’t be watching it. I have too much respect for other humans to watch them be displayed for my entertainment. I’m interested in folks as possible friends, or someone to learn from, or teach, or help, or any combination of the above. I have no interest in meeting people just to gawk at them or to say “there but for the grace of God go I.”
We are all unique and wonderful creatures. God has fashioned all of us in a special way, with gifts beyond measure and abilities that are out of this world. Circumstances and our own poor choices often muck us up. Some lives become absolutely glorious, some completely tragic, most bounce along between those two extremes. We all know moments of despair, of happiness and boredom. We share those moments in the hopes of building each other up, relieving stress, or simply to acknowledge each other’s imperfect take on life.
God takes part in our lives as much as we let Him do so. He is not an outside observer gawking at us or laughing at us. He is not an impartial creator that has left His work to its own devices. God loves us with a passion beyond imaging, and invites not only to share in His love, but to share it as well. Only when we are engaged with God and with our fellow humans can we be fully human ourselves. And while it might be entertaining to see one another’s follies and foibles, nothing is more satisfying than to take part in each other’s mistakes and triumphs in a spirit of Christ-like love.
The four guys that run the store are pretty interesting, as are the folks that come to pawn or sell their items, but the strength of the show is the focus on the items. Rather than descend into a human freak show exposing the follies and foibles of humanity, Pawn Stars entertains by educating, and keeps from being boring by the way the stars of the show explore the value and truth of the items that are offered.
The success of Pawn Stars has spawned a similar program, but this one focuses more on the people than the products. I like people. I like hearing their stories and being invited into their lives. Not all stories are pretty, not all stories are tragic, but all stories are interesting to me, and I try to treat everyone I meet with dignity and respect.
This new program uses a kind of freak show approach rather than telling human stories, so I won’t be watching it. I have too much respect for other humans to watch them be displayed for my entertainment. I’m interested in folks as possible friends, or someone to learn from, or teach, or help, or any combination of the above. I have no interest in meeting people just to gawk at them or to say “there but for the grace of God go I.”
We are all unique and wonderful creatures. God has fashioned all of us in a special way, with gifts beyond measure and abilities that are out of this world. Circumstances and our own poor choices often muck us up. Some lives become absolutely glorious, some completely tragic, most bounce along between those two extremes. We all know moments of despair, of happiness and boredom. We share those moments in the hopes of building each other up, relieving stress, or simply to acknowledge each other’s imperfect take on life.
God takes part in our lives as much as we let Him do so. He is not an outside observer gawking at us or laughing at us. He is not an impartial creator that has left His work to its own devices. God loves us with a passion beyond imaging, and invites not only to share in His love, but to share it as well. Only when we are engaged with God and with our fellow humans can we be fully human ourselves. And while it might be entertaining to see one another’s follies and foibles, nothing is more satisfying than to take part in each other’s mistakes and triumphs in a spirit of Christ-like love.
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