A skeptic by nature and by and large disinclined to buy into non-specific promises, I confidently stepped into one of those new designer churches a few weeks ago. Bright, airy, and inviting, with lots of glass and chrome, the sanctuary seemed to beg for a closer look. And before I knew it, I found myself standing on consecrated grounds.
In one swift scan I assessed my surroundings. The men and woman seated along one wall of this place of worship were heathens, I guessed. Each one had been paired with a church elder, wearing an eye-catching blue T-shirt with a logo on his chest. They were ubiquitous and easy to recognize. I had no doubt that these dyads were involved in one-on-one Bible Study. On the opposite side of the sanctuary, other prospective converts clustered around an elder in apparent group-study. I surmised that Sunday school was in full swing as well because children as young as two years of age were seemingly riveted in prayer. And in the front of this House of God, High Priests dispensed the Holy Sacrament from behind an altar.
A bit taken back by the intensity of the atmosphere around me, I was about to retreat when one of the elders greeted me warmly and invited me deeper into the sanctuary. I shook my head, “I’m a non-believer.”
“No problem,” the young man replied without the slightest hint of pressure and gently led me to the Tree of Knowledge. “I’m Trevor. Here, taste this fruit,” he tempted me. “It’s the fruit of wisdom. I’ll bet you’ve never tasted anything like it. Go ahead. Try it!”
Wary at first, I took a small bite. It was good. I took another bite.
“Once you tasted this fruit, you’ll never want anything else,” Trevor assured me.
I don’t recall what happened next, but before I knew it, I was scheduled for my first One-to-One at the Church of the Apple because I now, too, own a Mac.
