Long ago in a land named Bulova, there was a small group of men and women who were fascinated with time. They understood how time passed naturally. They knew about the sun and the moon and the rotation of the earth. They knew what comprised a day, a week, a month, and a year. But they wanted something that would measure intervals of time shorter than those units provided by nature. So they invented a device called the clock.
The first clock was called a sundial. It was created to measure the time of day by the direction of shadows cast by the sun. The sundial was a hit, and fairly accurate, but it wasn't perfect. It required sunlight and it did not work at night.
So the clockmakers of Bulova kept working.
The clockmakers designed candle clocks and incense that burned at predictable rates. Hourglasses passed the time with some accuracy but the clockmakers still were not satisfied. After many years passed, the clockmakers invented the water clock – a highly successful device that was popular in Bulova for decades. It was the most reliable timepiece until one of the town's clockmakers created the more precise pendulum clock.
Week after week, month after month, year after year, the clockmakers worked to perfect their clocks. They created many different types of clocks - each one attempting to be more accurate than the other. The clockmakers knew that they had something important – something that the world needed. But only a few of them were willing to share their knowledge of clocks with the rest of the world. Most of them stayed in Bulova to work on their clocks.
The clockmakers built massive buildings in Bulova to store their clocks, study clocks, research the world's need for clocks, make new clocks, and hold weekly meetings about everything regarding clocks. Some of the clockmakers even wrote and performed songs about clocks to inspire the clockmakers to continue their pursuit of perfect time. They bought a printing press to publish newsletters, magazines, and books about clocks, clock making, and clockmakers.
They formed committees to discuss and organize their clock quests. "How can we make our clocks more accurate?" they asked. "When will we tell others about our clocks? Who will go and share our clocks with the rest of the world?"
They elected officers to oversee their progress. There were presidents and vice-presidents and chairmen and council members. Each representing a group or sub-group dedicated to making their clock better. They continued to meet, learn, discuss, and debate the character qualities of the perfect clock as well as the perfect clockmaker.
And though a few left the town of Bulova to share the clock with other cities and nations, most of the clockmakers agreed that they needed to focus on making their clock better.
So they worked on improving their clocks. They worked and tweaked and met and discussed and fought and sweat over making their clock the best it could be. They made mechanical clocks, spring-driven clocks, alarm clocks, grandfather clocks, electric clocks, quartz clocks, analog clocks, digital clocks, and atomic clocks. They even made small clocks that could be attached to one's wrist called a watch. The clockmakers began to form cliques and groups among themselves based on their opinion of which clock was the best.
They divided themselves numerous times and formed associations such as the Spring-Driven Clock Association, the Society for the Preservation of the Water Clock, and the Council for the Progression of the Digital Clock. They held seminars, special meetings, and even built a large, elaborate, and expensive school to teach their children how to make and preserve their favorite brand of clock. Students at the school could learn about all things related to time and clocks. They earned degrees in clockology and taught about the theory of time, the need for clocks, the pursuit of the perfect clock, and how to be a successful clockmaker.
But they rarely shared their clocks with anyone outside Bulova.
Over time, a few of the clockmakers understood that most of the world had no way to tell time and they went out to show others their important invention. Other clockmakers became disgusted with the bureaucracy and politics that the clockmakers had created and left the group. Some saw their clock associations as a way to wield power and gain recognition. Therefore, they spent more time elevating themselves and less time improving their clocks.
Of course, the clockmakers' enterprise required money – lots of money. The clockmakers crusaded throughout Bulova about their need for money to continue their important work. They raised millions of dollars for the sake of clocks and those around the world who needed a clock but most of the money stayed in Bulova with the clockmakers to help maintain their clock factories, clock stores, clock schools, and clock associations. There was very little money left to send to the few clockmakers who were spread across the globe to share their knowledge of clocks. Besides, they hadn't really perfected the clock yet. "When it was perfect," they proclaimed. "We will show the world our clock. When everyone here in Bulova has a perfect understanding of the clock, then we will share the clock with the rest of the world."
So they continued to work and meet and discuss and fight and opine about the perfect clock. Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, the clockmakers stayed in Bulova busily working on their precious clocks.
Neighboring cities and countries heard about the clockmakers of Bulova. They were told that the Bulovans had an important invention called a clock that would be helpful and beneficial to every man, woman, and child. They couldn't understand why the Bulovans hid their secret. If it was such great news, why do the Bulovans keep it to themselves? If their clock was so revolutionary, where is it? If their clock was truly as great as the Bulovans said it was, why the wait? Why don't they come to our city and show us their wonderful clock?
Those who once anxiously waited to hear from the Bulovans finally decided that the clock must not be as earth-shattering and life-changing as the Bulovans made it out to be. "The Bulovans must not really mean what they say," the outside world said. "If the clock is so great, surely they would have told us by now. Maybe their clock isn't so important. Maybe the Bulovans are all talk. Maybe they really don't believe that the clock is for everyone. Maybe they just don't care."
"The Bulovans," they came to believe, "were full of bull."
I wonder sometimes if we in the American Church are like the Bulovan clockmakers. We spend most of our time, money, and energy trying to perfect our Church. We have the greatest news that the world has ever known. We know that this news will change the lives and destinies of every person on earth. We are convinced that everyone needs to know our Savior and be a part of His body, the Church.
But we will not go and share His story. We are too busy tinkering with the Church. We're trying to get the timing just right. The music, video, lights, and preaching can be better. Our buildings aren't big enough, new enough, comfortable enough, or cool enough. Our programs need tweaking. The children's ministry needs one more component. On a scale of 1-10, the youth group is an 8. What can we do to get it to 9 or 10? Only 65% of our adults are in a small group. We want 80%. What can we do to make our church better?
Meanwhile, the majority of the world needs to hear about Jesus for the very first time.
Do we really believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world and that this good news needs to be heard?
I'm not convinced.
Of the 227 nations in the world today, 152 of those nations have a Christian population of 10% or less. 116 are less than 5% Christian. Meanwhile, the United States has more evangelical Christians than any other industrialized nation in the world.
Will we share our most valuable possession, Jesus, with the rest of the world or we will continue to tinker with our clocks?
