What does it mean to be a Christian? My experiential definition is someone who doesn't "smoke, drink, or cuss" and who doesn't hang around anyone who does. I know that's not the definition I was taught. I was taught that Christian means "little Christ." A Christian is a follow of Jesus the Christ.
Emergents have failed miserably in our pursuit to change the face of what it means to be a Christian. When we try to live out our freedom in Christ, uptight Christians think that we have lost our salvation. We try to be free, liberated followers of Christ around non-Christians, but they share the modern preconception and think that because we are enjoying a beer or a stogie that we aren't any different than them.
This is one of the most frustrating battles in my own life. No matter how much I love or give; without consideration for the time I spend fighting for social justice; and without even considering my personal spirituality or walk with Christ people dismiss me as a serious Christian because I drink, or because I swear when I get angry, or because of something I say.
As long as "being a Christian" is synonymous with "being a goody-two-shoes" the emergent generation will never sign on. However, when we read the gospel account - when we truly spend times with the words of Jesus - we don't see our Messiah advocating some tame, "nice," sanitized life. Jesus spent time in the seediest dives in town, and not out of some ministerial obligation, but because he truly loved and enjoyed spending time with the people there.
No pretense, no masks.
They were people who just needed to be loved.
Jesus calls us to a radical, revolutionary life. Until we can show the church and the world what that looks like, and abolish the old definition, my generation has no hope.
Recap: Our definition of "being a Christian" is wrong. Until we re-find the Biblical definition of "Christian" the emergents have no incentive to follow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment