I just watched the movie “The Big Kahuna” (2000) starring Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey; which was very entertaining. It’s about 3 salesman off on a sales trip to market their product, two are veterans and one is a young believer. There is a quote from the movie the struck me as very interesting. it takes place towards the end of the movie when these three characters have a conflict over what is valuable, who is good and who can be trusted. The older salesman played by DeVito challegnes the young Christians judgement of the harsh, blunt older salesman (Spacey) who is greatly offended by the beleivers position. DeVito’s character says:
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or ‘How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down’. That doesn’t make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are – just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it’s not a conversation anymore; it’s a pitch. And you’re not a human being; you’re a marketing rep.”
What do you think? What can we learn from this observation? How many times have we found ourselves entering a conversation for the purpose of our agenda and end being “a pitch man” for our cause?
I am trying to be a person who can have a conversation becuase I want to know what the other person says – not because I want to tell them something, or “sell” them something. Lord help me listen.
February 13, 2009 at 2:26 am
Something about this bothers me, Don. I think it’s the remark about steering the conversation. All conversations get steered all the time. Your friend says, “Oh by the way, did you hear about so and so?” when you were actually talking about the baseball game, that’s steering.
Of course, there’s a very obnoxious sort of “steering” when “the sale” really is all you’re interested in. That sort of steering is what I believe you’re talking about, but I get the feeling the script writer wants a full gag order–self-imposed.
Wouldn’t the enemy like that? We’re so afraid of offending our friends that we can’t even point out the narrow gate that few find on their own, but we can recommend a great new restaurant or warn against an incompetent CPA. That’s falling off the other side of the horse.
Maybe the middle of the horse is learning to sense the Spirit’s leading so that, when the time is right, we’re right on time. That might be the first time you lay eyes on someone, or it might be several years into a relationship, but it’s going to be sometime, because keeping Jesus a secret is not being a friend.