Before coming to the third part of my Series on the theme of “turning of the tables”, I would like to step into a world of fizz and tell of a true account about ‘ambush marketing’ in the Cola world.
Most of the Cricket lovers would know that the second ICC Cricket World cup staged in the subcontinent was in 1996. (The first was in 1987). However, even before the mega event symbolizing ‘war’ for cricket supremacy commenced, there was a ‘war’ for corporate cola being fought furiously on the sidelines between two cola giants: Coca Cola, and Pepsi, for the title of the “Official drink of the tournament”. Coca Cola, flexing greater financial muscle, outbid Pepsi, and clinched the coveted title. Logically, this win would act as a springboard to enhance Coca Cola’s sales volume rapidly during the prestigious tournament. But unfortunately for them, they had underestimated Pepsi’s infinite creativity in its advertising department.
Despite losing the ‘war’ of becoming the ‘official’ drink, Pepsi turned the tables squarely on Coke, by coming out with what many advertising gurus still reckon as one of the most creative punch lines in the Indian advertising history–especially considering the adverse circumstances during which it was coined. “There is nothing official, about it.” This one punch line (still lingering in our memory) turned the Cola war on its head, as everyone simply bought into it excitedly resulting in Pepsi’s sales booming during that period like never before. Besides enjoying a bottle of Pepsi, just about everybody started using that punch line with a relish even in normal conversations. This was so much so, that I remember reading in a sports magazine that in an English county game after the WC 1996, the person who stood in for a sick official scorer and compiled the scores in the latter’s absence was nicknamed, you guessed it: Pepsi, because there was‘nothing official about him’ (sic).
Now coming back to the spiritual.
Timidity…
If proof is ever needed in order to convince the apprehensive lot as to the Lord’s ability of “turning the tables”, one needn’t look beyond the story of timid men at the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:56) becoming “Tigers” after the Pentecostal experience (Acts 2). In the First century AD, pray tell me who turned the World upside down? Not the likes of the high elite Athenian philosophers with their long flowing robes, but rather the surrendered weak ones with little or no formal education, much less any pretense of rubbing shoulders with scholarly folk! Not the mighty soldiers carrying gleaming swords on horseback, but the unarmed, feeble, erstwhile, and cowardly men who were now the very definition of unalloyed courage (Acts 4:13,31). Men (Peter, James, and John) who were more adept in spreading the fishing nets in the Galilean sea, were now “netting” men for God’s Kingdom; boldly defying all kinds of adversities.
Tenderness…
The message that God is love is one of the most pivotal statement of the scriptures, but where do we find it? As we scrutinize the Old Testament, the Gospels, and even the Epistles of eminent Apostles like those of Paul; Peter; and James, this statement is conspicuous by its absence. Only as we draw towards the end of the Scriptures, we see that it is John the Apostle, who is divinely inspired to profess this truth. In fact, love is the common thread running through the pages of all three of his epistles. To see this message come from a man originally called one of the “Sons of Thunder” by the Lord Himself, due to his volatile temper, (Mark 3:17/Luke 9:51-55) is the very definition of “turning the page” for good (Heb 11:34). After the Pentecostal experience, it must have been quite a journey (now being led by the Spirit-Rom 8:14) for this tempestuous “Son of Thunder” to become “an Apostle of Tenderness”.
Dear Sojourner of faith, do you perceive rough edges in your personality like being given to temper tantrums? Surrender your weaknesses to the Lord. He can transform your weaknesses into your strengths. Amen.
Prayer: Father, we submit ourselves warts and all to Your leadership. Shape us for Your Glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “Turning the Tables” Easter Mini-series, please click here.)