Today’s prompt reminds me of a 1975 hit, First Impressions, by the Impressions. I wasn’t really into soul music back then, but it’s not a bad song. I love to dig up all the old songs that I heard but didn’t really focus on in my youth.
And here’s one that I have never heard until now. The Stylistics were huge in 1975. I remember someone lending me The Best of the Stylistics. Their First Impressions song was released in 1978. By then, they had faded, at least in the UK and Ireland.
So, what’s the first impression that I want to give people? I never really think much about it. When I was young, I’d have liked girls to think that I’m handsome and guys to think that I’m tough. Maybe nowadays, I like people to think that I’m intelligent, friendly and good-humoured. I like people to know that I’m an evangelical Christian, but that I’m open minded and happy to talk about anything.
I’m doing a lot of reflecting lately, and one of the things I cherish most about my past is meeting so many people who were just warm and friendly. Few of them were close friends. But when I think of school, college, work, church, hobbies, I fondly remember all the people that I was superficially related to. They still lift my spirits. And I hope that I’ve done that for others.
What first impression would I not want to give? Well I sometimes meet people who seem very friendly, but you get the impression that they’re only being friendly because they see you as someone who might be useful to them. Maybe they’re hoping that you’ll do them lots of favours. Maybe they want to sell you something. Or maybe they’re gathering followers.
One thing that I sometimes dislike in Christian circles is a policy of winning people to Christ by being their friends or doing them favours. If cults do it, we generally call this “love bombing” – manipulation through relationships. It’s nice to make friends, but we should never have hidden agendas.
And the truth of the gospel stands on its own. You shouldn’t need to bribe people into accepting it. If the Holy Spirit is at work, the person will be drawn to Christ. So, I’d never want people to think that I was only being nice because I want something. At the same time, I do want something. I want some degree of social interaction even though I’m an introvert. I’m probably more of an introvert now than I ever was before. But maybe it’s because my mind is full of wonderful memories of so many people who have encouraged and inspired me in life. And they weren’t necessarily Christians. Anyone can lift your spirits. But it does remind me of the verse from Hebrews, where the writer speaks of all the Old Testament heroes of faith
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Here’s another song with Impression in the title – an old Billie Holiday song. You don’t often see ladies playing the trombone. I remember seeing Grace Jones playing one for a moment in an old pop video.
I always like to close with some sort of a spiritual message. I think of the Apostle Paul, who brought the gospel to the people of Thessalonica. In his epistle to them, he contrasts his team with other false teachers who tended to flatter and manipulate people:
1 Thessalonians 2:3-7
3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.
So, Paul would be my model. I would just like to be myself and for people to take me as I am. I would hope that they would look on me in a positive light, but I shouldn’t be overly concerned about how people view me. How God views me is so much more important.
Hibernia Gospel 