Taco Commercial Theology

I love tacos—who doesn’t, right? You might remember a popular taco commercial featuring a cute little girl who refused to pick between crunchy and soft tacos. She famously asked, “Why not both?” You may think I’m crazy, but I believe this commercial communicates a profound truth about Christian discipleship! Let me explain…

About fifteen years ago, I attended a ministry event expecting an evening of praise and biblical teaching. Instead, I found myself surrounded by what I’ll call “extras.” You know the drill: icebreaker games, giveaways, small group conversations to help everyone get to know each other. To be clear, there was nothing wrong with these extras—they just weren’t what I expected. My real frustration, however, was that instead of supporting the evening, these extras were the evening. But God, who never wastes an experience, used that night to teach me an important truth—one captured so simply in that famous taco commercial: “Why not both?”

Here’s the truth: when extras are focused on fostering genuine Christian community, they’re a necessary component of discipleship. I know that now. However, back then, I struggled—partially because I’m naturally drawn more to digging into God’s Word than to, as I affectionately call them, “the extras.” But that night, as I let myself relax and join in, I realized something. Christians don’t have to choose between the grounding peace of studying God’s Word and the connection and camaraderie that fellowship brings. They can, and should embrace both!

We see a great example of this balance in the early Church, described in Acts 2. The Bible says in Acts 2:42–43:

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”

The Bible says they were continually devoting themselves to both the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, and lots of remarkable things were happening! At the risk of sounding too casual, I’d say that the early Church understood “taco commercial theology.”

So, what can we learn from the early Church? First, we face constant demands on our attention—always. Many of us are up before dawn, hit the ground running, and don’t stop until we collapse into bed at night. Extra time is precious, and when we have it, we want to invest it in something real... substantive... something that has the potential to impact and change us or others. According to Acts 2, that includes both the life-giving equipping of God’s Word and opportunities to connect with our community and care for each other. Both are necessary for our growth in Christ, and I’m thankful God graciously showed me this so many years ago.

Before I close, a quick word of caution: in our busy, overstimulated lives, we tend to gravitate toward what’s easier for us. For some, fellowshipping with other believers is easier; for others, it’s diving into God’s Word. But in our churches and ministries today, we must embrace “taco commercial theology” rather than sacrificing one for the other.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.”

What if we took Ecclesiastes to heart and aimed for a balanced approach here? What if we invested our lives in the deep study of Scripture to understand God and His love and plans for us and invested in the beautiful “extras” of the Christian community? Why not Both?

Love,

Jamie

How about you?

What are you more drawn to, studying God’s Word or fellowshipping with others? How does each aspect contribute to your walk with Jesus?