Going Up? - Floor 27 - Christian Meets Wanda, Brand Ambassador for Superchic Fashion
The Narrow Door, the Velvet Rope, and Who's First
Welcome to “Going Up?”, a lighthearted series of elevator conversations between Christian and various people from the wide cultural spectrum of American life. Today, a fashion model and brand ambassador named Wanda.
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Not What, Who
Christian stepped out of church, buzzing with excitement. The sermon had been on point, and the preacher dropped a doozy of a closing statement. The reading from the Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent was a wake-up call to everyone!
He boomed the finale: "Brother and sisters, let me give it to you straight. Jesus said it’s not what you know that gets you in the door to heaven; it’s not what you do; it’s not who you are; it’s not where you’ve been or even what you have. It’s who you know."
Christian grinned as he left the church, mulling over the truth. He loved it when a single sentence could hold an entire universe of meaning.
On the way home, he decided to swing by the local department store—not to shop, but to catch a ride on the Schindler 7000 elevator and see who showed up.
Christian had a quirk. He was a nerd. Even his girlfriend thought he was strange. Cute, she said, but odd. When most people saw an elevator, they saw a way up. When he saw one, he saw a conversation waiting to happen.
And today, that conversation walked onto the elevator in six-inch stilettos.
Enter Wanda: The Walking Mannequin
Wanda was effortless perfection.
Silken black hair, cascading in controlled waves. A jawline that could cut glass. The kind of bone structure people paid surgeons for. She wasn’t just fashionable—she was fashion itself.
In his pre-Christian days, he would have said she was a ‘10’. But now, he didn’t see people that way—but she was dressed to the nines.
She was wearing a structured, high-fashion blazer cinched at the waist, impossibly chic trousers draped just so, and heels so tall they put her head and shoulder above Christian.
She was the kind of woman who didn’t walk—she floated.
And when she noticed Christian? She didn’t just glance. She assessed. Christian was a little uneasy with his clothing. He’d forgotten to do laundry Friday and put on the only clean thing he had for church, a T-shirt that read, “Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness.” The model looked confused, before she looked away.
Wanda’s Worldview: The Six Pillars of Her Universe
Followers – "You are who follows you." Success isn’t measured by depth but by reach.
Fame – "Visibility equals value." If people know your name, you matter.
Appearance & Wardrobe – "The outside is the inside." Style isn’t just a statement—it’s a status.
Universal Access to the Kingdom – "Everyone gets in." The idea of exclusivity is outdated.
Curated Reality – "Control the narrative." Only show what’s beautiful. Only say what’s trending.
Cancel Culture Morality – "One mistake, and you’re out." Grace? That’s for the weak. Perfection is the brand.
The Dialog
(The elevator doors close. The numbers tick up. Christian, being Christian, can’t resist.)
CHRISTIAN: (Admiring the elevator.) “Schindler 7000—easily in my top three elevators.”
WANDA: (Eyes flick toward him.) “I’m sorry… top three? Are there elevator rankings now?”
CHRISTIAN: (Nods, deadpan.) “Oh, absolutely. This one’s fast, smooth, and the lighting is flattering.”
WANDA: (Slight smirk.) “Lighting is everything.” (She looks at him, glances at his T-shirt, rolls her eyes slightly, then introduces herself.) “Hi, I’m Wanda with SuperChic. Brand Ambassador. I know the owner.”
CHRISTIAN: (Grinning.) “Christian.” (Extends a hand.) “Me too.”
WANDA: (Shakes his hand, confused.) “You too, what?”
CHRISTIAN: “Like you, I know the Owner.”
WANDA: (Squints at him.) “The owner? Of what?”
CHRISTIAN: “Of everything.”
WANDA: (Rolls her eyes, looks up at the numbers ticking.) “Here we go…”
CHRISTIAN: (Undeterred.) “Actually, I just came from church, and I think you’d appreciate this—our preacher was talking about knowing very important people today.”
WANDA: (Raises an eyebrow.) “Church? Talking about VIPs? What’s next—concierge service?”
CHRISTIAN: (Grinning.) “Close. More like a guest list.”
WANDA: “Oh, this I have to hear. Go on.”
CHRISTIAN: (Christian often adapted Bible verses to make a point. Today was no exception.) “He said there’s a door to the Kingdom, and not everyone gets in. People will knock, plead, even name-drop, but the Master will say, ‘I don’t know you.’ The whole room went quiet. Then he hit us with the punchline: ‘It’s not what you do—it’s who you know.’”
WANDA: (Arches a perfect brow.) “Sounds… exclusive.”
CHRISTIAN: (Shaking his head.) “No, inclusive. Anyone can get in—every race, every background. The invitation is wide open. The thing is… not everyone wants to.”
WANDA: (Frowns slightly.) “Wait—you just said not everyone gets in.”
CHRISTIAN: “Because not everyone wants to.”
WANDA: “Want’s to what?”
CHRISTIAN: “Wants to know Him?”
WANDA: “Who?”
CHRISTIAN: “Jesus. Either you’ll say, “Who are you?” and you don’t get in. Or He’ll say, “Who are you?” and you won’t get in.” But if He says, “Wanda,” and you say, “Jesus!”, you’re in.”
WANDA: (Crosses her arms.) “So… you’re saying I don’t get in?”
CHRISTIAN: (Shrugs.) “Well… do you want to?”
WANDA: (Blinking.) “Want to what?”
CHRISTIAN: “Know Him.”
WANDA: (Tilts her head.) “Know who?”
CHRISTIAN: “Jesus. Do you know Him?”
WANDA: (Scoffs lightly.) “No! I don’t even think that way. How…??”
CHRISTIAN: “How what?”
WANDA: “How can I meet who you’re talking about?”
CHRISTIAN: (Pauses, softening his tone.) “Okay, let me put it another way. Say I show up at a SuperChic event and tell the doorman, ‘I know all about the SuperChic line.’ What happens?”
WANDA: (Laughs.) “Oh, they’re not letting you in. Not even if you’re dressed to the nines in the latest Ready-to-Wear, you don’t get past the velvet rope.”
CHRISTIAN: (Leaning in slightly.) “But if I say, ‘I’m with Wanda’?”
WANDA: (Pauses, realizing.) “They open the door.”
CHRISTIAN: (Nods.) “Exactly. That’s the difference. Knowing about Jesus doesn’t open the door. Knowing Jesus does.”
WANDA: (Silent. Processing.) “So… what do I need to know?”
CHRISTIAN: “Not what. Who.”
WANDA: “Okay, so it’s who do I need to know?”
CHRISTIAN: “Yes. That’s first.”
WANDA: “Who’s first.”
CHRISTIAN: “Who you need to know.”
(The elevator dings. The doors slide open. Wanda escapes.)
WANDA: (Tilts her head, smirks.) “You’re quirky. But I like you. Okay, I’m afraid to ask, but what now?”
CHRISTIAN: (Hands her a card with his church’s name, Easter service times, and his name.) “Just come to church with me on Easter. I’ll make the introduction—I promise.”
(The doors close.)
Conclusion
Sometimes, the time isn’t right for a deep, meaningful conversation. We say too much or not enough. As Wanda stepped off the elevator, he couldn’t help but feel like his exchange with her had been a little like that old Who’s on First? skit—quick, circular, and a little dizzying.
But he also knew that moments like this weren’t about closing the deal; they were about planting seeds.
Wanda knew nothing about Jesus—not faith, not salvation, not even what it meant to know Christ. She was one of millions in a culture where church was never part of the picture—where even the first thing about the Gospel wasn’t common knowledge.
But that didn’t discourage Christian. If anything, it made him eager to share. Because the New Testament is filled with moments just like this—Jesus meeting people where they were, speaking in stories, metaphors, and questions, giving them something to wrestle with, something to return to later.
Christian wasn’t worried. He had extended the invitation. And if there was one thing he knew about the Owner, it was this—He always welcomed those who came looking for Him.
David Roseberry ☩
The Anglican
The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.
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