Terms of Faith

‎"How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?" ~Oscar Wilde 

The first recorded use of the term "Christian" was in the New Testament, in Acts, which states "...in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians." The second mention of the term follows where Herod Agrippa II replies to Paul the Apostle, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" The third and final  reference is in 1 Peter, which encourages, "...if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

To me, the reason I have difficulty with the word "Christian" is it has been thrown around so much in our modern context as to have lost almost all meaning.

Like "friend" and "love", "Christian" has come to mean something different in every context. To one, believing in God is another form of patriotism - it's "American." To another, it means someone who goes to church every week, reads their Bible every day, and pours elated spiritual terms into every sentence. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not what makes someone a Christian.

Some people hear "Christian" and think vaguely of a deity, but more often of His angriest followers, who have taken the role of judge into their own hands where it was never meant to be. It is not my place to judge the judges, but again...it is not what makes someone a Christian.

Some people hear it and it has no meaning at all, outside of maybe a statistic on someone's Facebook profile, but...(and by now you're following me)...it is not what makes someone a Christian.

This is why, when I am asked if I'm a Christian, it's hard for me to just say outright yes, simply because the word itself has become so saturated with falsities and feelings that have nothing to do with my brand of faith. Instead of answering yes and letting it slide, I always try to clarify:

"Yes, I'm a follower of Christ."

Instantly, in the absence of a weighted word and the presence of a name, it is no longer about me, but about who I follow. I am not defined by a sect, a group of people, a tradition, but rather by an aura of truth-seeking, of study, of Love.

The great thing about Jesus is this...no one (besides a sociopath) can argue with him. Whatever we believe about the man, he really did live and he really did die. The Dalai Lama himself studies the words of Jesus. The quote above was from none-other-than my very favorite flamboyant playwright, poet, and advocate of aestheticism, Oscar Wilde. Einstein acknowledged the phenomenal beauty and power of Christ's words. Brilliant artists and scientists will condemn religion as whole with fiery passion, yet somehow Christ himself they exempt from this condemnation.

And regardless of what you believe about him, his teachings were revolutionary. In a world of eye-for-an-eye, he started a movement of forgiveness. In an age of violence and hatred (hm, sound familiar?) he preached telling the truth and turning your cheek at the blow to follow.

The best part? His teachings are still relevant. We simply have to decide what we believe about him.

No matter what anyone else believes about him - whether you believe he was the Messiah, or God, or rose from the grave - it doesn't change the fact that he lived and died and stood for Truth, not passivity; Love, not judgement.

I am more concerned about what Christ actually said than what his followers say. Yes, of course, I can learn from my fellow followers, I can gain insights and clarity and leadership, but ultimately, I am supposed to be like HIM. Not like other people who are just as broken as I.

I just can't get it out of my head that if people took the time to familiarize themselves with Christ and his mind, the more they could compartmentalize modern ideas of Christianity, the less they would be bothered by the ridiculous-ness of some who claim to be his followers (but really only follow each other), and the more they would come to embrace him in their own lives.

And who knows? Maybe even be changed by him in the process.