The restoration of “Christian”

Is it just me, or are people of faith becoming less likely to use the word “Christian” to describe themselves? I was in church this past Sunday, and a man up front was talking about his reasons for tithing, and he used the phrase “before I was a Christ-follower…” I thought about this later while I was hiking on New Years day. I realized that I am somewhat uncomfortable with the word “Christian”, and the more I thought about it, the more examples I could think of how others shy away from that word. A quick scan of my facebook friends reveals much more creative ways to describe their “Religious Views” than the generic term “Christian”. I have to include myself in that category- mine says “I think that Jesus guy is pretty cool…” I thought that was witty when I wrote it. : )

Why am I a little uncomfortable with the word? And why does it seem to me that people are more likely to use other terms when describing their Christianity?

As I was struggling not to get blown of the mountain I was climbing (it was kind of windy), I could not help but think of the word euphemism. Is “Christ-follower” a euphemism for “Christian”? Are people becoming so ashamed of the word “Christian” that they use other terms to avoid it?

I ask because I think that’s the root of my discomfort with the word. I’ve heard and read too many negative reactions to “Christian”. I’ve seen people identified as Christians do and say too many horrible things. I don’t think I need to catalog the list of offenses, as I’m sure you can think of quite a few yourself. If you can’t, well, maybe you need get out some more as well as read up on a little history.

Is substituting “Christian” with “Christ-follower” or “Jesus-follower” the best way to respond to the negative feelings that people get when they hear the word? I’m not sure it is. It’s not a bad thing. But I don’t think it’s the best response.

I think Jesus is all about reclaiming what is lost. I think he is about restoration and renewal. Instead of abandoning the word “Christian” why can’t we restore it to something closer to it’s original meaning? What would it look like for Christians to identify themselves as Christians, and then go out and do their best to serve Christ? Maybe we can change the perception of Christianity to something that is a little closer to the true message. That’s my hope.

What do you think? Should we abandon the word “Christian”?

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Deception

I heard about someone this weekend who is in the hospital and on suicide watch. I read a comment by a family member of this person who said something to the effect of “things were not as they seemed.”

Reading that got me thinking about how often that phrase is often true. Our perceptions of others are based on the small amount of interaction we have with them. For the most part, we have no idea what other people are going through. Even those we are closest too are able to hide pretty much anything. And how many times have you hidden things from people?

I can think of several times in my life where I have hidden pretty big things from even my close friends.

“What’s the point?” you may be asking, “We all hide things from other people, so what?”

The point is that in realizing how often we hide things from each other we can be a little more sensitive to why people act certain ways. Your co-worker is being a jackass. Maybe there is more to the story. Or someone you know is being more quiet than normal. Instead of ignoring that person because they’re not being social, how about reaching out in love? Instead of immediately reacting to your co-worker’s aggravation with annoyance, how about taking a moment to ask why yourself they are acting that way?

Sounds simple, but it’s not so easy to put into practice. However, a little empathy can go a long way.

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