What Kind Of Christian Are You?

I often question how to identify myself as a follower of Jesus. I have believed the word “Christian” has had too many negative thoughts connected to it for me to boldly claim it myself. After speaking to numerous athiest/agnostic people across the country this summer, I have heard a variety of opinions, but I’m not convinced the word “Christian” is consistently thought of in a negative light to nonbelievers.

Surprisingly, I have seen much more negative sentiment in the Midwest than the coasts. I think this has to do with it being a general topic of discussion to those in the midwest, but doesn’t seem to be discussed as heavily on the coasts. The reality is that there are so few Christians in parts of the coastal regions of America that no one has a true opinion regarding the issue–besides what they see and hear in the media.

Personal experience individuals have with people who call themselves Christians still seems to be the biggest factor on public image. If this is true, the bigger question to me is “what are we, Christians, doing to reinforce the positive elements of the Christian image?”

In a recent article published by CNN, Christians are depicted as being their own worst enemies.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/24/opinion/granderson-christians/index.html?c=&page=1

 

Living the Red Letters

Many Bible versions set the words of Jesus in red text to make them stand out. The phrase “Red Letters” has become a popular term to describe the teachings of Jesus.

Many people are familiar with the teachings of Jesus. Whether you grew up in a church or not, you’ve probably heard or even memorized a few Red Letter verses, like:

“Do unto others what you would have them do unto you…” or, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself…” or, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”

Sound familiar?

Every year, it seems like another tent revival or Christian movement catches mainstream attention in the United States. Jesus has even been fashionable. Remember the cool WWJD? bracelets that took teens and 20-somethings by storm in the ’90s and 2000s?

But, if I may be so bold to ask, has our familiarity with Christianity in American culture helped us become more like Christ? Are we better off today than we were 10 years ago? Are we more or the less the same, maybe even worse off?

In my life, I’ve found it’s one thing to be familiar with the teachings of Jesus. It’s quite another to live by them. I believe one of our most important jobs as Christians is to set an example through our lives that can be followed. I’ve also noticed how our failure to do this has driven many away from the the faith.

More than a new revival or cool bracelet, I believe we need to see the Christian faith, the faith Jesus exampled, in action.

The goal of our documentary is to take this idea — what it looks like to follow Jesus — and paint a picture of it; adding color through interviews, and weaving it alongside the narrative of our team’s experiences as we serve others and travel across the U.S. We want to capture examples of people in modern-day America who are putting flesh on the Red Letters in their daily lives.

Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek instead of repaying evil for evil. He taught us to treat others with equality; no matter their status, how they dress, look or smell. He taught us to trust in God and not to worry about tomorrow — what we will eat, what we will wear.

These aren’t the values I learned from the American way of life. If anything, they might be the opposite. But the truth is, no matter the time or place, the teachings of Jesus are the same. The only difference is what obstacles a Christian has to overcome to follow the Lord.

We can’t change where we’re at. So can we change what we value in our hearts no matter what surrounds us? Can we value the kingdom of God, his love for us and his righteousness? Can we put away competing influences in our lives and listen for the Lord’s voice?

My experience tells me, it’s learning to live by the simple lessons that have the most impact on my life as a follower of Jesus. Ironically, the simple lessons also seem to be the most difficult to do well. Thankfully, we have the best role model and guide to help us through this: Jesus Christ, himself.

What about you? What’s had the most impact on your life as a follower of Jesus?