What's the Difference?

I was thinking the other day about the walk of Christians and the walk of non-Christians and that intersection point. There is a tension that has been present for probably as long as Christians have been around on how to live in the world in light of the gospel. Then I started thinking of what I have seen in our culture and society and how Christians walk compared to non-Christians.

Every Christian would not disagree that our lives are meant to be a witness to those that we come in contact with. The easy part is establishing this, the hard part has always been how and in what way do we do this? I think that for every person you talk to you will probably get a little bit different of a variation on how Christians are supposed to witness to those around them. I do not have the answer for this question, just to burst that bubble and so you don't get to the end of reading this and wonder where in the world the parting of the clouds and great epiphany went. However I do want to pose a question that should maybe get us all thinking about how we are living. I think that for the most part we (Christians) have enveloped ourself in our culture so much that nobody really can tell the difference. We watch the same t.v. shows, we listen to some of the same music, we possibly (depending on your convictions) drink the same drinks, and for the most part we actually have the same attitudes as the people around us. whether that is an attitude of consumerism, or an attitude of laziness, or an attitude of alcoholism, there is not much that separates us from them (and I shudder to use the old 'us'' and 'them' terminology but it just is the easiest to use).

So then, the question I want to pose is what makes your life different enough that people actually can look at you and notice that you live a life different than others? Now it's easy to say "well I believe different things" or "I have more love, or more joy than others", but the reality is, if no one is noticing (and granted you might not hear about if people are noticing) then perhaps possibly you are doing something wrong, or not allowing Christ to do his part in your life. It's nothing concrete and I am not thinking about anything in particular but it is fairly clear in the Bible that Christians are supposed to be a witness that people notice. It is not a matter of words and I think this is where the famous saying by St. Francis rings the most true "share the gospel, use words if necessary" (paraphrase). This quote has actually always rubbed me the wrong way to be honest, I always thought it was ridiculous, the gospel could not be told simply through actions, but the heart I think of the quote is that our actions should be enough that people notice a different, can I use "counter-cultural" aspect. What in your life is counter-cultural? Church does not count, I asked what in your life, not what day in your week that non-Christians aren't a part of, is counter-cultural, but what could others point to in your life and either not understand, or point to your Christianity.

Again, this is not to point fingers at others, saying I don't recognize your faith, or you are doing something wrong. It is merely an honest question that I think we Christians could benefit from, a little more, if we were willing to re-evaluate ourselves every once in a while.

A Question of Glee

If you have ever watched the hit t.v. show Glee you know the motto that they profess: be who you are and don't let anyone change that. Now whether you like the show or not this is an interesting concept and a prevalent one in our culture. One of the most common areas where this is addressed is in the gay-lesbian discussion among Christians and non-Christians alike. There are people that say they were born gay or lesbian, and then Christians say, no you weren't, and the back and forth continues with no progress. Now the catchphrase among Christians in regards to this is "hate the sin not the person", which leaves a sort of bitter taste in the mouth with people wondering how in the world that works out. Now I don't really want to talk about that part at all but as my random mind thought about the new season of Glee and such at work (yes I watch the show and enjoy it) I thought about their message to people, the one that can be seen almost anywhere you look in society: the rise of Lady Gaga, the relativistic attitude towards religion, the "positive mental attitude" movement, etc.  So I want to pose two questions then: is this a good thing to be professing? and what is the difference between Glee's "being who you are", and being who God made you to be?

Here is the difference. Pop culture just says that we should just accept people's dispositions without question because that must have been how they were born. If they were born that way then what right does anybody have to try and change. The problem comes with the fact that nobody can even question if that disposition is by choice or natural, because that would be offensive even if it seems that it is a choice. However I think there is a way that God made us to be. Now this does not mean that all of us were made to be the same, it also doesn't mean that Christians have a reason to not be loving or to start being judgmental, however I also don't think that having such a flimsy stance on certain things is good or healthy, it allows for us to sit in our sinful nature without having to work towards that person God made us to be. I don't think God made anyone to be gay, or a chronic liar, or a thief, or lustful, or a plethora of other things. How do I know? Because God is none of those things, and he made us in his image. I still think that God wants us to be an individual and he gives us personalities and passions and desires that make us unique and we should not be ashamed of those things. I am not ashamed of the fact that I like the show Glee even though some people think I should be.

I used to struggle with anger issues, and the slightest thing would tip me off (a lot of things were small and ridiculous). I always thought that it was just kind of the way I was, after all it's not like I thought 'I'm going to lose my temper and freak-out, and look like and idiot'. It seemed to be a natural reaction, and I thought that I might deal with it my whole life. You want to know the one thing that started to change my attitude problems? My mom had a conversation in the car after an explosion at a baseball game and told me that it was my choice whether I got angry or not. As soon as that realization that I had a choice came (and by the grace of God) I started to change that attitude and today people can hardly believe that I used to have anger issues. In fact, I think I am most complimented on my always smiling, and laughing. What a turnaround eh? So why did it happen? Because I refused to believe that I was just angry by nature, and I started instead to work towards who God made me to be. Now I realize that it's not an easy process to change some of those things that seem to be such a part of who we are, but it's a worthwhile process. So the challenge that I have is not necessarily to finger wag at people and say that they are not actually just born gay, but to try and point and guide people to show them who God made them to be. It's a worthwhile question to ask: was I born this way? Really, were you?