April 24, 2026

 

I love the television game show Jeopardy. It’s really about the only game show I watch, as I am not generally a fan of the genre. But I love Jeopardy, and my wife and I watch it regularly. It’s fun to pit our knowledge against that of the contestants, to see how well we can answer the questions. Sadly, most of the time we come up far short. Melissa and I joke that we might have somewhat of a chance if they would let us come on the show as a team. But until they do, I guess we’ll just be satisfied watching it at home.

One of the segments of the show I particularly enjoy is the interview portion, when the host takes a couple of minutes after the first commercial break to meet the three contestants. They typically talk about where they are from, what they do for a living, and then share something interesting about themselves. Clearly the contestants fill out some sort of form that details the particular anecdotes they might like to share, and then the host asks about one of them. And there are some interesting stories that come out. Sometimes the contestant has a family member that has appeared on Jeopardy in the past and offered some valuable tips for their appearance. Or the person has an interesting hobby or once met someone famous. It kind of runs the gamut. I’ve often wondered how hard it must be for longtime champions to keep coming up with interesting stories. For instance, the current host, Ken Jennings, won 74 consecutive games before finally losing back in 2004. I mean, after 50 or so interviews, how many interesting stories can one have left?

But what amazes me more than that is the contestants who seem to have nothing. We watched an episode recently where one of the contestants – appearing on the show for the first time – shared that he once visited the Grand Canyon. Another recent contestant – a woman from New York City – shared that she enjoys going out for pizza. And I remember thinking, “Wow! That’s it? That’s the best you have?” I mean, you know you are going to be on national television, and there’s at least a decent chance it will be a one-shot deal. And that’s the most interesting thing about yourself you can come up with? Surely there is something better!

I have that same thought sometimes when I overhear people talking about their faith or their church. I heard someone once – in response to the question, “Tell me about your church” – say, “Oh, I really like it! We always get out on time.” Wow! There’s a ringing endorsement. If I was looking for a church, I’m confident that would get me in the door! At times like that, I find myself thinking, “Is that really the best you have? Is that really what keeps you going back to your church?”

The same is true when I’ve heard folks talk about their faith in general. The person has an opportunity to talk about her faith, and she squanders with vague generalities about her faith giving her comfort or making her feel better about herself. It’s such a waste.

I say that because I’m convinced that as followers of Jesus Christ, we have an incredible story to tell, a story that literally changed the world. It’s perhaps the most interesting story of all. It’s the story of a God who not only creates, but loves Creation so much that the Divine was literally willing to do anything to prove that love. A Creator who promises that our lives can be transformed through the path that the Divine Son lays for us. That’s a story!

But we have to be willing to tell it. In fact, we ought to be dying to tell it. Because it’s a story that promises to transform even the most broken lives, not just ours.

Tell me about your church. Tell me about Jesus. What would you say? What story can you tell that will truly convey the work of Christ in your life? Granted, the person asking may just be making idle conversation. Or maybe they are looking for that something they see in you. God forbid that any of us would miss the opportunity to play a small part in their transformation, to open the door for God to do something incredible – again.

See you Sunday.