John 18:37 "You
are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right
in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came
into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth
listens to me."
The
other night I got embroiled in another theological tussle on Facebook. This
time it was in the company of a group of Scottish pastors, some of whom I have
known for decades. The argument was over whether or not we should continue to
use the word ‘Christian’ in our faith and ministries.
Over
recent years, the word ‘Christian’ has garnered some negative connotations in
our society. The word represents, in the minds of some people, self-righteous
bigotry and unyielding fundamentalism. In our supposedly post-Christian and
post-modern world, there is a push to get rid of undesirable labels and,
unfortunately, ‘Christian’ is one of them. Instead of being known for loving
one another as in ancient Antioch, Christians are lampooned as being ignorant,
uneducated, unsophisticated, prejudicial and judgmental. While there may be
some elements across all Christian denominations that reflect these negative
flaws, they do not really represent who we are in most regions of the world.
To
me, the word ‘Christian’ means a person who is a follower of Christ, who tries
to live by His tenets and is not afraid to speak the truth, even when it might
be considered unpopular. It would be so easy to ditch the word and just call
ourselves ‘spiritual seekers who like Jesus.’ We could then do what we wanted
and not be burdened by the word ‘Christian’ at all.
But
the truth of the matter is this: to be a Christian means to follow Christ
closely, knowing that we will frequently fail. His teachings and truths will
challenge us constantly, in the hope that we can change ourselves positively
and become more like Him each day. As C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, ‘Every Christian is to become a little
Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.’
Questions for personal reflection
What does the
word ‘Christian’ mean to me? How do I personally convey that meaning to others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we try to follow You
each day and grow in our Christian faith. Some days are better than others, and
sometimes we fail to live up to Your ways. Forgive us for our mistakes and free
us from our failings. Help us to be reconnected to Your Truth, Hope, and Love.
In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. If you would
like to make a comment or ask a question of today’s message, please send him an
email to traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest winter drawings. It features the Babcock Mill in
West Virginia during snowfall. If you would like to view a larger version,
please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8467215304_7af5d74172_b.jpg
Signed,
limited edition prints of this delightful drawing are available from John.
1 comment:
I've been a member of a Presbyterian church in Puerto Rico since 1979, this post kind of defines what I'm feeling right now about being called a Christian. It seems I've lost my way due to the ways of my church's reverend. How can I come to terms with staying a Christian when everything that surrounds me at church screams otherwise?
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