Jesus is on his way to Caesarea Philippi with his disciples. That remote, ancient town was developed near a spring that feeds the Jordan River. The Jordan is the source of life for so much of the region. We also know that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan not long before this journey. When he was baptized, you will remember that God’s voice came down from Heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Certainly, a grand introduction, and this introduction plays into the ideas in the readings that struck me today.
As Jesus is walking along, he asks his disciples a very simple question. They are hand chosen disciples, and have been traveling, eating, teaching, and performing miracles throughout the region. They had been together 24/7 for weeks and months on end. Yet, he asks a simple question that could not be easily answered, despite God’s announcement from Heaven. “Who do you say I am?”
Only Peter knew the answer, because God had put the pieces together for him, but not the others. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” That was the answer, and it was the truth, it was short, and it was sweet.
Short, Sweet and Truthful
In business and in life, we often need to produce a short, sweet, and truthful answer to questions. That answer is often called “the elevator pitch.” The concept is to answer a question, describe something, or introduce yourself in a short and concise way. Imagine that you are in an elevator, and you have only the time from when the elevator door closes and then opens to state your case.
In today’s world, it is prudent to have elevator pitches in your head for situations you may encounter. Remember, the elevator pitch should be short, sweet, and truthful. If you are asked a question about yourself, your Faith, or your Beliefs, you may only have one elevator ride worth of time to state your case. Or that “elevator ride” may be standing at the gas pump, in line at the supermarket, or out for a walk when you bump into someone. Because my reflections are usually asking you to do something or try something, I will stick with the theme. Here a few questions to consider, and you can produce your elevator pitches. It is my philosophy that if you can answer something in a short, sweet, and truthful manner, you really get the concept.
· Why do you believe in God?
· Why do you go to Church?
· Why can’t I just do whatever I want, it doesn’t hurt anyone?
I will stop there, but many elevator pitches should be on your mind and answers on your tongues, to help combat the misinformation and anti-religious sentiment out there. Answers do not need to be political, but we Catholics and Christians need to be able to explain the truths to people, because conversations about truth and faith and religion and ethics and morals are in short supply out in the world. You can be additional laborers out there in the real world because the harvest is abundant, and there are not enough of us laborers.
Remain Blessed.
Excellent advice, Paul. This is such a timely reflection. You are right that “many elevator pitches” should be ready on our tongue…different situations, different people mean we have to be ready with different ways to share our faith when we meet them.