Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
The speaker opens by asking, “If every person in the world were physically crooked, would you know that you were out of shape?” How does that metaphor challenge the way Christians calibrate “normal” in a culture where spiritual/emotional crookedness may be widespread—and what does it imply about our need for something truly “straight” to judge by?
Another way to ask: If everyone around you is “crooked,” how do you know what “straight” looks like? What does this say about how Christians decide what is normal in a culture where many people may be spiritually or emotionally off?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The metaphor warns that if “crookedness” becomes common, we may stop noticing it in ourselves. The speaker implies we need a truly “straight” reference point—ultimately Jesus and his kingdom—to recognize what is bent and seek real help.
- He asks if everyone were crooked, “would you know that you were out of shape?”—implying normal can be miscalibrated by the crowd.
- In the “crooked man” poem, he says to know something is crooked “we need something straight… something to judge it by.”
- He calls the healing narratives “a sermon in action,” “demonstrating what the kingdom is about in action.”
- He says Jesus’ power “carries over to all areas of life… physically, emotionally, spiritually,” redefining what “straightness” is.
- He applies it broadly: “most every one of us could say… there’s some area in my life where I feel a little bent.”