I AM A CHRISTIAN
The term Christian gets thrown around quite frequently and its meaning can change depending on your current situation. I decided to write about my opinion on the subject of Christianity through human secular eyes. My personal disclaimer is that this is merely an opinion.
What is a Christian anyway? The definition is someone that believes and follows the teaching of Jesus Christ. That seems fairly simple and straightforward. I bet that the majority of people reading this including myself consider themselves to be some sort of Christian. What level and what type can depend on where you are at a particular stage in life. Allow me to prove my point.
Let's say you are at a point in life where you are on a spiritual high. You are at the top rung of the ladder looking down and wondering why everyone else cannot see and feel what you do. Your life is in order because you are a Christian which gives you the core belief in your ability to handle anything. You see others as the sinners that they are. You don’t mind telling others when someone is acting in a manner in which they shouldn't. You are talking the talk, dressing to the hilt, and making dang sure you are at church when the doors are open. You are the very model of Christianity and you have the self-imposed authority to judge to go with it.
Life changes, crap happens, you fall from grace, the top rung of the ladder shatters. Now you become one of those people down below. As you watch life crumble, you find yourself saying those mystical words "I thought you were a Christian". Or, I really like this one, "so you call yourself a Christian". This is what you are saying to the ones that were in your elite group. The Society of Snobbish Christians has cast you out. This makes the journey away from your faith formation much easier. Your eyes are open, you see the error in others’ faith much clearer. In your narrow mind, still in some remote area of your brain you believe that you were really living the true model of Christianity.
More time passes, the downward spiral continues, and the skeletal remains of your faith are mere dust in the wind. It was all for nothing, it was not what you thought, it must have been a lie. I lived what I was taught. I attended church and did all the social activities that went along with it. Now it was all gone.
Then it happened, rock bottom was a hard hit. Everything was gone, the pride, the money, the ego, GONE. The person you see in the mirror now is a horrible mess looking forward to the day when death comes calling. No one cares about what happens and neither do you. The relationships you treasured are nothing but a bad memory. To top it off, sickness and dependency on medication control what little bit of life you have left.
This is where your Christianity begins and living for self ends. The department store faith you were living has now been replaced with the spirituality that was placed in you from the beginning of time. You are now walking with the sinners, the lowly, the have-nothings. You have become one of them. Instead of slipping further down the pole, you become the Saul of Tarsus. Your eyes are opened to the real needs of the world around you. Christianity is not a social club, or jury by trial. It is a real living and breathing entity that seeks out those in need. You get it now. The Jesus you thought you knew is slowly being replaced by the real deal. The funny thing is or should I say interesting thing is that you now realize it doesn't take money and fashion to be a Christian. Heck you do not even need a judge’s robe. What you need is the ability to see and feel the pain and suffering of those around you. The model of Christianity is about love, forgiveness, and sharing and it has absolutely nothing to do with your social status.
How could you, me, or anyone else have gotten it so wrong? It is not about going to church all the time. I believe by now you get my opinion of what a Christian is. I hope you can see the highs and lows that can come along with it if you allow. It takes real humility to be a Christian and that is something us humans lack greatly. So where are the Christians? Well I am looking for them myself. I used to call myself one but now I call myself one in training. I do want to love and accept others. I do not want to judge or condemn. I want to learn to forgive and believe that those I thought were the worst just might have a lesson for me to learn. I believe in the movement and I am going to be a part of it.
So what has your journey been like?
Peace to you
Dale
What is a Christian anyway? The definition is someone that believes and follows the teaching of Jesus Christ. That seems fairly simple and straightforward. I bet that the majority of people reading this including myself consider themselves to be some sort of Christian. What level and what type can depend on where you are at a particular stage in life. Allow me to prove my point.
Let's say you are at a point in life where you are on a spiritual high. You are at the top rung of the ladder looking down and wondering why everyone else cannot see and feel what you do. Your life is in order because you are a Christian which gives you the core belief in your ability to handle anything. You see others as the sinners that they are. You don’t mind telling others when someone is acting in a manner in which they shouldn't. You are talking the talk, dressing to the hilt, and making dang sure you are at church when the doors are open. You are the very model of Christianity and you have the self-imposed authority to judge to go with it.
Life changes, crap happens, you fall from grace, the top rung of the ladder shatters. Now you become one of those people down below. As you watch life crumble, you find yourself saying those mystical words "I thought you were a Christian". Or, I really like this one, "so you call yourself a Christian". This is what you are saying to the ones that were in your elite group. The Society of Snobbish Christians has cast you out. This makes the journey away from your faith formation much easier. Your eyes are open, you see the error in others’ faith much clearer. In your narrow mind, still in some remote area of your brain you believe that you were really living the true model of Christianity.
More time passes, the downward spiral continues, and the skeletal remains of your faith are mere dust in the wind. It was all for nothing, it was not what you thought, it must have been a lie. I lived what I was taught. I attended church and did all the social activities that went along with it. Now it was all gone.
Then it happened, rock bottom was a hard hit. Everything was gone, the pride, the money, the ego, GONE. The person you see in the mirror now is a horrible mess looking forward to the day when death comes calling. No one cares about what happens and neither do you. The relationships you treasured are nothing but a bad memory. To top it off, sickness and dependency on medication control what little bit of life you have left.
This is where your Christianity begins and living for self ends. The department store faith you were living has now been replaced with the spirituality that was placed in you from the beginning of time. You are now walking with the sinners, the lowly, the have-nothings. You have become one of them. Instead of slipping further down the pole, you become the Saul of Tarsus. Your eyes are opened to the real needs of the world around you. Christianity is not a social club, or jury by trial. It is a real living and breathing entity that seeks out those in need. You get it now. The Jesus you thought you knew is slowly being replaced by the real deal. The funny thing is or should I say interesting thing is that you now realize it doesn't take money and fashion to be a Christian. Heck you do not even need a judge’s robe. What you need is the ability to see and feel the pain and suffering of those around you. The model of Christianity is about love, forgiveness, and sharing and it has absolutely nothing to do with your social status.
How could you, me, or anyone else have gotten it so wrong? It is not about going to church all the time. I believe by now you get my opinion of what a Christian is. I hope you can see the highs and lows that can come along with it if you allow. It takes real humility to be a Christian and that is something us humans lack greatly. So where are the Christians? Well I am looking for them myself. I used to call myself one but now I call myself one in training. I do want to love and accept others. I do not want to judge or condemn. I want to learn to forgive and believe that those I thought were the worst just might have a lesson for me to learn. I believe in the movement and I am going to be a part of it.
So what has your journey been like?
Peace to you
Dale
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