When I Was Studying Interpersonal Communication ...

When I was studying Interpersonal Communication at Ohio University, I took a class called Diffusion of Innovations, which is just a fancy way of saying the class was about how new ideas get out and get accepted. For example, when the microwave oven was first available, you had the early adapters who bought them right away, then the middle adapters who waited a little while before getting one, then the late adapters who were even more cautious and waited several years before getting one.

And then you had the last group, the group that refused to accept the new idea until they didn’t have a choice. That group was called the “laggards.” The laggards were the ones who said indoor plumbing would never work, or that airplanes were too dangerous, or that cars were a fad. Laggards say you don’t need an answering machine; if it’s important enough, they’ll call back. Laggards think home computers are finicky contraptions that waste time and money…OK, sometimes they’re right. Laggards simply refuse to go with the flow, no matter how useful and obvious the new innovation is.

Jesus’ parable today is a parable for laggards. Jesus is saying, “I know that some of you out there have said you believe in me, but have yet to live that way. And I know there are others out there who live a good life, but have yet to find your true home with me. Maybe it hasn’t been the right time yet. Maybe it’s not the right time now. But I want you to know that I promise to be here waiting for you, when you do come to faith.”