I’ve probably been reading far to much FSTDT, but I have been wondering about something lately.
With all the weird people around saying they’re being “persecuted for Christ” and living a completely separated lifestyle, it got me to thinking – how weird is too weird? As followers of Christ, are we called to be different in a way that makes us appear weird, strange, abnormal? Should we live our lives in a manner that causes us to be ridiculed and ostracised? Should we be enduring persecution because of the way we live? Is persecution really a marker of holiness?
According to the New Testament, we are supposed to be different, but also be all things to all people. How ‘weird’ by the world’s standards should that make us?
We are supposed to be known for our love. Is that enough? Should we be different in other ways? Is 1 Corinthians 13 how we should behave, based solely on love?
I’ve thought about this especially in the light of John 17. That’s where the “in the world but not of the world” idea comes from. And no, that phrase is absolutely not in the Bible, no matter how many people have told you that Jesus said it.
Jesus says himself in this passage that he didn’t just drop us off in the world so we could await his return. He sent us TO the world. There is a huge difference. We are sent to love, sent to care, sent to share our hope, sent to complete the work Jesus began. If we put ourselves on a red carpet and cordon ourselves off from the world with a big, red, holy rope, we are no longer sent – we are separating. That doesn’t fit at all with what Jesus said. It seems the thing we should be abnormal in is our love – for God and people. The Golden Rule in a nutshell.
You just can’t love effectively from the other side of the rope.
Great post.
Great post, Heather, and worth the wait.
A couple of thoughts…
First…I have known some of whom I call “conspiracy theorists” who have grown increasingly suspicious of government (to the point of having their kids at home and not getting birth certificates)–all from the motive of self-protection from the days to come, and a persecution they believe is growing. But even if their suspicions of the government are all true (which they are not)–I do not see anywhere in Scripture where we have permission to withdraw from society because of that. Self-preservaton is not what the gospel is about.
Second…I think we have a somewhat “baby-ish” perspective as to what “persecution” is. If someone pokes fun at someone for wearing a “The End Is Near” placard, that is not a good example of persecution, in my opinion, because it is out of ridicule rather than hate. That person usually isn’t being taken seriously, isn’t considered a threat, and the persecution is happening not because of that person’s faith, but because of the “weirdness” of it. The hatred Jesus encountered was because they were forced to take Him seriously, and because the way He lived, acted and spoke was seen as a threat. Same with the early church. Those days may come again; but I guess if someone told me they were separating out of society due to “persecution”, I’d be asking where the persecution was really coming from.
[...] I ran across this post at one of my favorite blogs “Deconstructed Christian“. [...]
Great post. How weird is too weird – I could go on and on about this one but I’ll try not to
For one, when I see Christians separating themselves from the rest of the world into their little cliques, it makes them seem not only weird, but unloving.
My neighbor would not let her son associate with my son because I was not a strong enough Christian parent (I didn’t force my kid to go to church, hey, maybe cause I thought it was BS and didn’t go myself, but she just saw me as “bad”). Ironically her son not only smokes pot and drinks behind her back but also makes fun of her constantly for being so “religious”. My son and him sneak around behind her back to see each other which is fine with me, I love her son, he and my son have been friends for 10 years!
So my point is – some Christians can’t even treat other believers with love and treat “the world” as if everyone in it is evil. That is weird. Driving a car covered in bumper stickers threatening hell is weird. Not associating with non-believers is weird because doesn’t it defeat the point?
As for persecution, I agree with Jeff. I know men that have died for their faith and I know a few that have been imprisoned for their faith. Trust me, no one here in the US can rightfully say they are PERSECUTED for their faith. Maybe belittled or treated unfairly or poorly – but that’s about it. When you are burned in your car with your two sons simply because you are a Christian spreading the gospel – that is persecution.
I think many Christians have trouble discerning between “different” and “weird”.
The trouble is, people who have been brought up in (or become acclimatised to) the church system often have a hard time understanding what is weird by normal standards, and that weirdness will lead to ridicule.
Jeff’s example of someone wearing a “The end is near” placard is a case in point. I have friends who would applaud the guy for doing that, or for preaching on a street corner where nobody stops to listen to him, because he is “proclaiming the gospel”. To me, it’s not effective proclamation of the gospel if nobody is listening. It’s just weird.
Let’s face it – we all laugh at or ridicule those things we consider weird or freaky. So why should believers be exempt?
I don’t think we’re called to be weird. To have a different values base to society at large, yes. To be in relationship with a holy God who expects us to live according to his standard rather than any other, yes. But to be weird? No. When I think of those people I’ve known who I consider to be real, shining examples of God’s love and true disciples of Christ, they have tended to earn people’s respect rather than ridicule. But then, these are the people who meet others where they are, rather than shouting on street corners that they’re all sinners.
This “how weird is weird” reminds my of John Wimber’s testimony as told in the video “I’m a Fool for Christ, Whose Fool are You?” (highly recommended, even if it is a bit of hyperbole). He talks about his first visit to a church and how weird it was, including having someone ask him “Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?” which really started to scare him about what might be coming next.
Indeed.
Personally, I think some Christians have a persecution complex. In other words, they think that anytime they’re knocked down, or called out on, their behaviour or stuff they say or do, it’s the same thing as being persecuted. Yet, last I checked, they weren’t being hung on a cross, they weren’t being stoned to death, and they weren’t being sent to jail for their beliefs.
“Lord, deliver us from your followers!”
I know some ‘Christians’ who actually covet persecution because it will ’show’ what a ‘good Christian’ they must be. They like to brag about being persecuted like it is amarker for the quality of their ‘performance.’ Ick.
Thanks, Jimmy and Jeff.
Jeff, Barry, Anonymous and Shelly, that’s a fantastic point. Actual persecution because of Christianity is extremely rare – it’s usuall our own fault if we’re ridiculed. Being ‘persecuted’ because of ridiculous, stupid behaviour hidden behind a guise of being ‘holy’ is definitely not real persecution.
And Katherine, I have met some of those myself so I know exactly what you mean.
Barry, you said “When I think of those people I’ve known who I consider to be real, shining examples of God’s love and true disciples of Christ, they have tended to earn people’s respect rather than ridicule. But then, these are the people who meet others where they are.”
Exactly!!!
StevenS, I agree, our Christianese can be awful sometimes! Speaking plain English is a much better option.
Anonymous, what an awful story! I’m sure there are many kids doing exactly the same thing because of overbearing, self-righteous parenting. So sad.
No you can’t love people from the other side of the rope – that’s not what being incarnational is about, how can you be His hands, His feet, His voice – behind 4 walls? They need to get off their @@@@@@ and into the marketplace.
Oh my goodness! This is so true. And some of the comments are just hilarious.
I think I’ve lived my whole life trying not to be weird but then feeling guilty that I’m not. You are right Heather, we should be characterized by our love…. and not for things like we are too righteous to get cable TV. (no offense to anyone who has made that choice)
I’m trying to raise my kids differently. I talk to them about spiritual truths like forgiveness….and be an example too…rather than dictate the doos and dont’s.
It actually helps that my husband isn’t a Christian because he just wouldn’t go for any wierdness. I do pray though that one day he will know Jesus like I do.
Mark R, LOL! That’s one way to put it
Ruth, I know what you mean about feeling guilty. It’s a strange emotion to have, but it does happen.
Good post. Great questions. I wonder if I would have found Isaiah wierd during the three years God told him to live “sans clothing.” Or found Jeremiah wierd for not conforming to the patterns of that world. Or Ruth wierd for following her mil back to her homeland. (BTW-found you through Barbara’s blog)
Great to meet you, Karin. Thanks for posting
Yes, Isaiah and, Jeremiah and Ruth were all a bit on the weird side. The Bible is full of some rather weird characters. John the Baptist is a case in point.
But there is a lot of difference between people who acted weird for a purpose – at the express command of God – and people who think we are supposed to be living a life of complete separation from the world. It’s those people this post is about.