Outside the Box...

^"19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

I Corinthians 9:19-23



Outside the box...

I heard a great alto sax player last week at the Pioneer Pub in Natchitoches, LA. Unlike most groups that frequent the joint, these were "jazz cats." In fact, it was Them Jazz Catz. My friend, Carlos Ortiz IV, headed the band and brought his friend, the sax player, to the show. They all played great. It was truly a great set. One thing I listened to, was the sax players ideas and improv. What made it so interesting was how unorthodox I found it. It wasn't what I expected to hear at all. When he improvised over the progression, it seemed as though he eluded to the main idea, but never played it directly. That would be too direct and uninteresting. No, he played "outside the box."

David Walliman says this about playing outside the box:

Playing outside of the original key can be used to add tension and interest to your improvisations.

"Tension" and "interest." Why on earth would anyone want to add something like "tension" to something that they want people to appreciate or at least hear? Simply put, tension IS interesting! Whether in day to day life, or on stage at the Roxy, tension makes people listen. It piques interest. It may irritate some, sure, but that doesn't mean they didn't take notice and have a chance to appreciate it. If it were something easy to listen to, or standard, or ordinary, or overdone, it may never change people. Never make them smile, or like I do when I hear something extremely musically interesting, laugh.

There's a great book, for those who haven't read it called Blue Like Jazz. It's a book that Donald Miller wrote about his life experiences in his Christian walk. Sound churchy? Nope. He seems to ramble sometimes, but not in a pointless way, about his journey as a beleiver. I find it very interesting and an "outside" way to show the world, one reader at a time, that seeking God is not about pageantry and tradition, but about learning and growing and failing and LIVING. Here's what he says about his book:

Sting has this song where he says that he is alone on an island and puts a message in a bottle and throws it into the ocean, only to wake the next morning and have a hundred million bottles washed upon his shore. He sings "I guess I'm not alone at being alone," and I think that sums up how I feel about Blue Like Jazz. It feels like I thought I was alone but woke up one morning to discover nothing could be further from the truth. And people have been incredibly kind.

We all need to know that we're not alone. That we each go through hard times. That we need people. That we need God. That we need Love. The only way to show those who don't realize they are in need, that they ARE in need, is to do something different. Being all things to all men. There are times to be quiet, and there are time to slap someone in the face. As Christians, we need to realize these times. we need to realize how very FEW in the world respond to churchy lingo and confusing terminology and theology. Living outside the box means, and I want to capitalize so you don't miss this, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. It's what Jesus did. Ain't that good enough for us? The pharisees were the ones involved in pageantry and tradition. Telling folks everywhere they went about how they've kept the law and are essentially above it.

Jesus lived outside the box. Met people where they were. He still does it. He uses your hands. He uses your words. He uses your actions.

Be creative. Be a Christian and don't think you have to wear shirts or necklaces or stickers on your car to be recognized as one. They will know we are Christians by our LOVE.

Love outside the box.