Here it goes:
John Wesley was a
weirdo. John Wesley also changed
the church and the world.
Weirdo/Genius - These two often go hand in hand. When we look at Wesley he holds a
special place in our hearts. But I
bet that if we ran into him on the street he might make us feel
uncomfortable. He probably had a
bit of social awkwardness about him, most geniuses do. He was thinking of things that we
rarely think of still today. He
was a contemplative that drew from the traditions of the past while making it
real for the need of the people of his day. Living in the Holy Club mentality while being a social
reformer at the same time equals weird.
It’s a tough line to walk.
He did it.
Geniuses are not great at
everything though. What about a
Wesleyan view of marriage or parenting?
He can’t really help us in these areas, at least not from his own
personal experience.
Remember – John Wesley was a weirdo. He did strange things.
How about preaching on top of your dad’s grave because you weren’t allowed
into the pulpit that day? Begging
for alms for prisoners on a cold Christmas Eve is not something many ‘normal’
people do. Wesley did it, but he
wasn’t normal. He was a
genius. You can call him a
‘folk-theologian’ all you want, but I think his true wisdom is revealed in the
awkwardness of his ordinary parts of life. I am fine with Wesley’s lack of normality. I need him to be weird.
I got to thinking about this
idea after I saw John Mayer in concert.
I am a fan. Most of the time when I mention that, someone responds
by saying something about a not-so-recent-scandal that Mayer had. He said
some foolish things to reporters a while ago and he hasn't always made the best
decisions publicly. When he realized that he was throwing his career
away, he fled the public eye and moved to Montana to refocus and restart.
He writes very beautifully about this in his song Shadow Days. John Mayer is weird when it comes to
relationships and the normal parts of life. Why? John Mayer
is a genius.
Not so sure? Go watch
him play. This is his gift, his sanctuary, his place in the world. He was
made for this. I appreciate his ability, range, musicality, stylistic
creativity, and lyrics. Why do we
want geniuses to be everyday people? Let Wesley be his reforming self,
let Mayer be socially inept and awkward too. Let Einstein have his crazy hair.
I was in the hospital room
visiting with a church member whose child was very sick. The doctor came
in and he had terrible bed-side manor. When the doctor walked out I could tell
that the mother was not comforted. She wanted comfort and the doctor
didn't give it. I want that
doctor. As a means of providing comfort to her, I told her that he was the
kind of doctor that would get the job done. He was a genius. He
probably spends so much time thinking about science that he doesn't have the
time to pick up on social cues. This is the kind of doctor that I want
when my child is sick. I don't want a Jerry Seinfeld or a Santa Claus.
Give me the awkward genius every time. This is the same way I feel
about the ‘Johns’- so gifted in their area that some other areas may lack. I am not a genius and you aren't
probably either, were just too normal for that.
