Take the challenge...

I know this may come as a shock to a few people, but during my time here in England I’ve read a few books.  Surprising, I know.  One of the books I recently finished is When Religion Becomes Evil by Charles Kimball.  It’s a really interesting book, and I would definitely recommend it.  Now I’m not smart enough to take in or understand all that Kimball talks about, but I was able to get a lot out of it. 

Towards the end of the book Kimball introduces an image of a spiritual compass.  One part of the compass is its emphasis on practice in daily life.  The points on this compass have less to do with the structured belief systems and more to do with how we orient ourselves in the world.  For Kimball, he says, “It is the difference between thinking of my Christian identity in terms of a noun or an adjective.”  He furthers this thought with a story.  Kimball tells about a time when an Arabic-speaking Muslim he’d met during his travels to the Middle East asked him, “Are you Christian?”  Kimball assumed he meant “a Christian” and just forgot the indefinite article, so he answered “Yes.”  Kimball thought about this question later that day, and it really bothered him.  He asked himself, “Am I ‘Christian’ in my attitudes and behaviors?”  He came to the conclusion that it is easier to say “I am a Christian,” but it is much more powerful and meaningful if you are able to say “I am Christian.”

It seems like such a small difference, but it is true.  There is power in saying “I’m Christian” and leaving off the indefinite article.  It creates ownership and pride.  It’s like you are saying you and being Christian are one.  It’s not just a group you are a part of or identify with.  It’s not just something you do on Sundays.  It is who you are.  It lives in you.  It guides you in what you do in your day to day life.  Some may describe themselves as a mother, a son, a teacher, a Clemson fan, a friend, or any combination of these and much more.  These are all characteristics of ourselves, and we will identify with other mothers or Clemson fans.  When we say “I am a Christian,” it is saying this is a group we identify with.  When we say, “I’m Christian,” we are acknowledging that this is who we are, and that it fully impacts how we are a mother, a son, a Clemson fan, and a friend.  It completely invades every aspect of our life and makes us who we are. 

I feel that it is natural to answer a question about your faith or beliefs by saying, “I am a Christian,” I just ask that you think twice about it and what it means.  If you don’t think that you are able to say “I’m Christian,” ask yourself why not.  What is it about your life, what you do, who you are, that you aren’t confident enough to claim your beliefs as the essence of who you are?  If you have an answer, and you acknowledge the problem, try to change it.  It’s hard.  None of us are perfect.  When you make the step and conscience decision to say, “I’m Christian,” you should take it as a challenge for yourself.  A challenge to make sure that your beliefs and the teachings of Jesus are infiltrating every aspect of your life.

So the real question is – Do you consider yourself a Christian or are you Christian?  If you said, “I’m a Christian” - Take the challenge.  Let your faith be who you are.