I’m not an Apple guy. I’m a PC guy. Do I like Apple products? Absolutely. I could spend hours in an Apple store at the mall. I covet an iPad and a Macbook and an iPod Touch. The products they make are fantastic and superior to most everything else in terms of what most people use them for. But apart from my 3 year old iPod Nano, I don’t own a single Apple product.
Why, might you ask? Two reasons:
1. The initial cost is much higher than similar products. I can get an MP3 player at Walmart for a fraction of the cost of an iPod. I can get a decent laptop for much cheaper than I could a Macbook. Now you could say that the overall cost will be the same or less since Apple products perform better and last longer, but the fact is, for someone like me who doesn’t have the type of upfront money it takes to purchase the more expensive version, even if it is better, Apple products are just too much.
2. I’m annoyed by “Apple people”. You know who I’m talking about. I’m not talking about every person who owns an Apple product. I’m talking about the people who almost pee their pants every time Steve Jobs makes an announcement about a new Apple product. I’m talking about the person who talks disdainfully about all PCs and considers all PC owners to be deceived. I’m talking about the person who makes fun of “PC people” with all their other Apple buddies. I’m not cynical of people who think Apple products are better, I’m cynical of the person who comes off like they’re a superior person due to the fact that they have those products and who try to convert PC people because they want more people on the Apple team, not because they actually want to help them. I love Apple products, but there’s something inside me that makes me not want to buy them because I don’t want to be associated with “Apple people” and I just don’t want to become an “Apple guy”.
I think people have similar thoughts about Christianity. They like the product (Jesus), but they don’t like the upfront cost or the people they have to be associated with if they buy in. I think we require too much of people when they express interest in following Jesus. We require them to talk differently, think differently, spend their time differently, change out their friends, attend Church at least once a week, become a Republican, etc. (that last one was a slight exaggeration…..slight). What we should do is ask them to keep tight relationships with other Christians, read Scripture, and try to listen to the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t seem like such a huge deal to begin with in comparison with making a lot of exterior changes. Yet, asking those simple things is far more effective in creating a disciple of Jesus.
The other stumbling block we create is the way we, as Christians, treat those who don’t believe as we do. We have a terrible history of judging them, isolating them or isolating ourselves from them, belittling them and generally making ourselves come off as superior. We also have a history of treating them as projects and targets instead of people. The result is that many rational people would never want to be associated with Christians. This should not be. Jesus, who was far superior than every other human who has lived, humbled himself to the point of death on a cross. Sadly, many of his followers haven’t done a very good job of emulating him.
So, Apple person, instead of making fun of someone’s malfunctioning PC, empathize with them and gently tell them of the blissful experience that could be had by owning an Apple product and remember that you were once a PC person too. Christian, instead of disdaining your godless neighbor or coworker, show yourself as humble and gracious towards them and remember that you were once godless as well.
You’re already an apple guy if you are comparing their products to Christ himself…
Doh!
Now that’s an interesting analogy.
I feel the same way about Apple that you do. There are some people who are convinced that Apple products are better, and haven’t a clue as to why that might be. (If it is.)
Apple products are better, for the most part. I work with both PC’s and Mac’s everyday. I have an iPod Touch and a Palm Pre (i like the operating system on that a little more than the iPhone, but my main gripe w/the iPhone was reception which will change in march when VZ gets it). The basic thing is this: Apple is something that has to be experienced in order to fully understand how much better they are. Price or not, they make better and more user friendly products right out of the box.
But like so many people who have been “freed” from the chains by Christ…they still want to hold on to their old ways (PC’s)…
I really don’t care too much (that’s a bold faced lie). I just know that many people who are willing to die on the PC hill are doing it needlessly.
OK . . . the comments have left me somewhat confused, but that’s easily done and not necessarily important.
What is important is that we not back off the cost thing, as it relates to becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. While it’s not about cutting off your friends, or even weekly church attendance (although Scripture admonishes us to “not quit getting together as believers”, or talking/thinking differently (although Scripture does have quite a bit to say about “as a man thinketh” and the power of the tongue) . . . there is a cost. And Jesus was clear about both the cost and the importance of counting it. Our task, as I see it, is to make Him so attractive that we make Him (and the cost) worth it to them.
Back to the PC/Apple verbage: My husband is an Apple guy. I’m a PC woman (using what he discarded when he bought the fruit). Mine works fine for me. Not sure what he (and the others in my life who swear by the Apple stuff) would have to do to make me want one ENOUGH to fork over that kind of money. Perhaps they would have to convince me that I would have little or no quality of computer life now and a really bad existence forever after if I don’t bite. (Not unlike our challenge in living that attractive life in front of the unbeliever. Is there something in/about my life that goes beyond “blessing” people to actually making them want Jesus in theirs?)
If, per chance, one of the Apple people decides to just give me that Mac Air . . . then I pray that God helps me avoid developing the unattractive attitude you have described in your wonderful post. (There . . . you knew I’d squeeze in the affirmation somewhere!)
LYF
I’m an Apple. Don’t hate me, especially since I’m also your sister. My Apple products are simply the gifts of a generous hubby who for some reason wants to spend his hard-earned money on Apple gadgets for me for Christmas. I have already told him no fancy gifts this year.
Time to write something . . .
(to finish your comment)…is something that is pretty hard to come by right now.
I understand, son.
LYF