1987 saw the small scene open up to the travels of the new Enterprise-D crew. Jean-Luc Picard was the fearless and intelligent captain, older, wiser, less brash than the Kirk of the past. The STNG cast and crew had adventures never considered in the original. In 1989 the audience met the ultimate enemy of the Federation, the Earth and all life forms in the known universe---The Borg. The Borg were cosmic vacuum cleaners that cruised around the galaxy devouring any and all life forms that would benefit their technology and "blood’ line. They lived in a gigantic bee-like family where individuality of thought does not exist. They think as one, speak as one, live as one, act as one and devour other worlds as one. The Borg are a cross of robot mechanics and biological tissue. Their goal is to empty the universe of all life forms other than themselves. In STNG they show up on a peaceful planet and erase the landscape and populace. The "people" go into the collective as themselves and come out the other side resembling a combination of C3PO (from Star Wars), Darth Vader (also from Star Wars), Marilyn Manson (from…?) and a computer with artificial intelligence. The personality of the new "creature" is much like a new Whirlpool refrigerator (cold and metallic). The real life of the person has been exchanged for the cold steel of machine. The new life form then becomes a drone in the collective working for the benefit of the whole.

For no particular reason I was thinking about the Borg the other day. I thought how in some ways we as Christians, are much like this fictitious enemy of all living beings. Like the Borg we cruise around planet earth looking to increase our number. We find someone and assimilate them into our group. We run them through a class or two teaching them how to be like us and then they come out looking and acting much like all the others we have collected along the way. Thinking the same things, speaking the same things, acting the same way. We then put them to work to increase our collective.

I am not in any way discounting the true work of the Holy Spirit in changing the life of a new believer. God’s power does and will change someone and make him or her totally new. (II Corinthians 5:16-18) I am not talking about God’s work in changing someone. I am questioning how many times we get involved in helping God along the way. Let’s admit it. We have collected bunches of religious sounding language and ideas that did not come from God’s life in us as much as from Christian life around us. How many of the requirements we place on our fellow believers come from God or our personal preference.

I’ll never forget a man I knew who thought the contemporary Christian band Petra was "of the devil". He never really listened to them. He never really knew them. He didn’t know much about the ministry they were involved in. After talking with this brother I came to a conclusion….he liked Bach, he just didn’t like rock. He wanted me, and all like me, to view the world of Christianity the same way he did. He wanted me to exchange the life of God for the machine of religious thinking. He cruised through the universe picking up life forms and changing them into him. He had a few "converts" along the way, but no real life changes.

I can’t help but remember what the bible says in I Corinthians 1:21…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Through the foolishness of preaching God does and will reach people. I think sometimes it’s also by the foolishness of preaching we ruin perfectly good believers. They come in with hearts hungry for God and go out robot-like instead of Jesus-like. You and I tote a huge bag of opinions and personal preferences with us along life’s way. Our goal for new believers and fellow brothers and sisters is for them to love Jesus with a passion, serve the Father with a whole heart and to share the love of Jesus with all they meet. The package that message is delivered in is not that important.

I am not talking about believers who are living in open rebellion against God’s word. I am talking about those around us who look a wee-bit different, dress a wee-bit different, act a wee-bit different. They do not have to look, dress or act like me. Their lives’ goal should be to be like Jesus.

Oh, and by the way, Jesus is much like The Borg. He shows up in our lives and it goes something like this, "I am Jesus, prepare to have your life changed, resistance is futile." Jesus makes a "good" Borg. He changes folks to be like Him, not like all the other drones. Transformation of a soul should always produce a Jesus outcome, not a people outcome.