She walked in, arms full of things pouring out of her grasp. She seemed a bit frazzled. She scanned Starbucks for an open seat. Nothing seemed to satisfied. It added to her frustration. Finally she dropped all of her papers, and folders, and computer bag. I tried not to stare but her frantic demeanor drew me in. She situated her pile of things and began to work. Without looking away, her hands reached into her purse and pulled out a plastic zip lock bag. Still focused on her computer screen her hands slowly opened the bag and pulled out a paper towel wrapped in a ball. She opens this ball up and lifts its contents into her mouth. She’s munching on a snack. Not that interesting. Then I notice what the snack was: BACON! She had a medium pile of bacon that she was nibbling on. Could this be, bacon for a snack? I’ve seen bacon as a breakfast item with eggs. I’ve seen bacon as 1/3 of a BLT for lunch. I’ve seen bacon wrapped all sorts of things for dinner. I’ve even seen bacon ice cream or chocolate covered bacon for dessert. But a snack?! The Food Pharisee in me wanted to wag my finger communicating my disapproval: “Lady! You’ve crossed the line. You’ve taken your love for bacon too far. Who brings bacon to Starbucks? I’m embarrassed for you.”
But what’s with my disapproval? I’d love a medium pile of bacon to snack on. Was she just courageous enough to do what all of us wish we could: Snack on bacon, midday? Who doesn’t like bacon? It has the power of changing bad food to good. Ever had asparagus not wrapped in bacon? Not the best the vegetable world has to offer. This woman should be celebrated rather than vilified. She’s a bacon trailblazer.
Have you ever noticed we tend to judge people who are willing to step out and try something new. We naysay because we don’t have the guts to step out into the unknown ourselves. We’d never admit it but it’s jealousy.
Jesus is having this conversation with His disciples after His resurrection. He tells Peter about the type of death Peter would glorify God with. Notice what happens next: Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21:20-22
Peter turns and looks at John and asks Jesus: “What about John. I’m going to die this horrible death what’s going to happen to him?” I love Jesus response. Ultimately he tells Peter: “Mind your own business. Your business is to follow me. Focus your attention away from John and onto your task.”
That’s a good word: Mind your own business.
We have a tendency to stick our nose in other people’s business at the expense of our own. It’s like the fan in the stands who’s sitting back with a nachos in one hand and a Slurpee in the other complaining about the player on the field actually doing something. Or the people who love Facebook simply because they like to roll their eyes at what their “Friends” are doing: “Looks like cousin so n so has posted another pic of their kid. When’s someone going to finally tell them their kid isn’t that creative, smart, or cute! And that one girl I’m ‘Friends’ with that I don’t even think I’ve ever met. She’s always traveling to exotic places. Where she get the money? Probably got rich parents. I can’t stand these entitled rich people. Don’t they know the rest of us have to work! No one cares about your Paris selfies! Oh great, another one of those ‘Look what I’m eating’ pics. So you can cook. Woop-dee-doo!”
It seems like longer we’re Christians the more we think we have the right to judge people’s actions and the more we believe we figured out their motives. This is Christianity gone bad. Perhaps Jesus would would answer us as he did Peter that day: “Mind your business. Your business is to follow me. Focus on that.”
So let me ask you: Are you into other people’s business or into the business of following Him? Mind your business. You’re business is following Him.
Also, some of us are so concerned about what judgmental people will think or say that we hold back, we don’t step out and do. If you’re not sinning, who cares what other people think. Be authentic. Be you. God made you that way and it pleases Him when we embrace us and give up the mask of impressing people who don’t matter.
So eat bacon as a snack. Wear sandals with socks. Join a competitive yodeling league. Sell all your possessions and go feed children in Haiti. Open a pet rock petting zoo. Share your faith with someone new. Be the you God intended you to be. Yes it may be weird. But lets face it, we’re all weird. We’re all different. And when was different wrong?
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