Can you do for Christianity what Michael Hyatt did for Thomas Nelson?
I hated Thomas Nelson Publishers. [Update: Check Michael’s comment response here for why that hate’s dwindling even faster now.]
- Question: What’s more important than the Holy Grail?
- Answer: The Holy Bible.
And Thomas Nelson doesn’t get it.
I’m a fan of the New King James Version. I’ve read from the same Bible my whole life: a NKJV, Thomas Nelson Bible. I re-covered it, though, because the old one fell apart (and I never take it out of its leather case). That’s why I hated Thomas Nelson.
Thomas Nelson makes lousy Bible covers.
Zondervan makes decent covers. Theirs even look snappy. Some even have snaps to hold them closed, not that snaps are everything.
But Thomas Nelson covers fall apart like wet noodle igloos. It’s ridiculous. Books, especially Bibles, should last more than a couple years. It’s criminal. And Thomas Nelson workers are Nelsinners for it. Okay, that’s childish name-calling – what I mean is, I didn’t have much respect for the company. At all.
Until Michael Hyatt
As you know, Michael Hyatt‘s the CEO of Thomas Nelson. He’s blogged for over ten years now (since before they were called blogs), but I only discovered him recently.
[Some back story about my reading habits: I read way too many blogs (but I’m not stopping). For the most part, they’re disposable for me – I’m all about the latest content. I don’t mine many archives anymore. Having said that…]
I read Michael’s archives. I ate it up… and still do. (If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is.)
While reading through Michael’s posts, I began to notice my perception of Thomas Nelson switching. In a good way. Finally, a couple weeks after discovering Michael, I found an old interview with him on God’s Mac.
In the interview, Michael mentioned that part of the significance of his blog is that it reveals a face, a person, behind the Thomas Nelson company. Michael’s blog humanizes the company similar to how Jesus humanized God.
“God was not content to remain aloof… He became a man.” -Michael Hyatt
When I heard that, I knew I had to write this post. He’d harpooned what I’d come to realize about him, and about Christianity.
I still don’t like Thomas Nelson, Bible covers, but I don’t hate the entire empire anymore. Because for me now, Thomas Nelson has a face: Michael Hyatt.
Does Christianity have a face?
As Michael said, Jesus came as a tangible representation of God for us. But now that responsibility has passed to us, to you and I as Christians, as Christ’s church.
Christianity is a global, Goliath of a religion with no face… or at least the face seems hidden. Can you and I become that face, that person who shows others that Christianity is not a company, not an ideology? Can you and I make it real?
I have friends who hate Christianaity almost as much as I hated Thomas Nelson. I hope through me they learn to hate it a little less… or at least feel the humanity of it.
I love what Paul said:
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:20
Serving Suggestions:
(1) First off, if you work for Thomas Nelson or know someone who does, I’d love for you guys to start rockin’ some decent Bible covers. I’m not talking about stylishness here – I’m talking about not-fall-apartness. (To be fair, I haven’t had any experience with the covers since 2007. Let me know if I’m wrong and they’re fantastic now.)
(2) For regular readers, check out Michael Hyatt’s blog. Do you get a better feeling for Thomas Nelson by reading it? How? Why?
(3) Don’t worry – I’m not going to leave you hanging too long. I’m working on a post about how, in practical terms, you and I can help humanize Christianity for the world. For now, how do you feel about it? How are you already doing it? How could you and I do it better?