The 92nd Street YMCA in New York City sent a formal note of apology and an offer of a refund to 900 people who came out to hear an interview with Steve Martin, the well-known comedian, writer, and actor.

Apparently, the people didn't get what they were expecting. As reported in The New York Times, Mr. Martin, an avid art collector, has just published a new novel about art, and the interviewer, Deborah Solomon, chose to focus the conversation on art, thinking a sophisticated New York audience would appreciate learning more about this side of Mr. Martin.

She was wrong, however. Emails from off-site viewers and a note handed to Ms. Solomon midway through the interview insisted she focus the conversation more on Mr. Martin's career and less on art. She was stunned, as was Mr. Martin. The Y was embarrassed, and the event ended up falling on its face.

There's a parable in here, methinks, for Christians. People have a right to expect that those who bear the name of Christ will resemble Him in values, priorities, demeanor, and practices. They want us to act like Jesus and treat them like Jesus would. When we don't, they want their money back. As in the case of the Delaware court which awarded $30 million in damages to a victim of clergy sexual abuse. Or maybe they'll just stop showing up for our events. That, at least, might explain why church attendance is dropping and the percentage of the American population which is Christian is not rising as fast as the percentage of the population overall.

It would be easy for Steve Martin to blame the Philistine insensibilities of the 92nd Street Y crowd, but he didn't. He has made his name by being a certain kind of person, and that person creates expectations on the part of those who come out to see him. Had I been there, and Mr. Martin showed up without his banjo, or failed to put that arrow through his head or get happy feet, I probably would have been disappointed, too.

So, too, Christians can blame the godless and secular people of our materialistic age for why academics and pundits don't like us, church attendance is down, and hedonistic behaviors are up. After all, we tell ourselves, in Jesus' day the people crowded and crushed to get around Him and be with Him. They knew what to expect from Him, and they wanted all they could get.

And, really, that's just the point, isn't it? If people today got more of Jesus from those who bear His name, perhaps they wouldn't be so inclined to seek fulfillment in other things?

Additional related texts: Matthew 5.13-16; Acts 6.1-7; 1 Peter 3.15

A conversation starter: "Do you think the people in our society are experiencing the 'real Jesus' in the lives and words of those who profess to believe in Him?"

T. M. Moore