Bulky title I know. But looking back at the troubles incurred this past year, I have come to a realization of a couple of things. One, people do not like change nor do they like you telling them change is necessary. Second, people don't like you talking about doctrine especially if that doctrine is not their own (look at point number one). Third, people take offense at you easily (look at point number two). Fourth, people call you judgmental (look at point number three). In the end, you are alone and find yourself in the very center of God's will. Being in the center of God's will contrasts with "sameness". Yes, too many people, even in my orthodox church, look little different from the rest of the world. But these are the Christians we must contend with in a culture that can not tolerate too much peculiarity. It is our socialistic culture that breeds complacency in our attitudes about worship, love of God and faith. It pressures us to conform to acceptable "norms". Christians who accept these attitudes parrot cultural lies like, "you have to be culturally relevant in order to reach people for Christ." But the Christians who make these kinds of statements really mean by them that we must look like the world in order to reach the world. Looking like the world may mean, dressing in ways that show that we belong to the world. Why is this so important? One reason is simply we don't want to give the impression that we live on cloud nine and so cannot understand the basic struggles "normal" people experience. So instead we compromise and dress like everyone else. Of course if this is conscious, then it shows how weak we are in our faith. The argument is an excuse to indulge and not stand out as "different". We all want to be accepted. Dress is huge in making sure we conform to the social paradigm that exists in our world. It is exceedingly difficult, and I say this from experience, to remain steadfast in our beliefs as they are worked out in dress, manners, music and Christian values. It is easier to give in to our non-believing or mixed up Christian friends and cowardly give in to other social expectations and pressures asked of us. Staying diligent comes at a cost and it has been costly for me (us) this year. But I take great encouragement from like minded friends. I take great encouragement from great men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who died a martyr. His attitude of transcendent faith caused him to put his life on the line with abandon for others. The Apostle Paul had said that his life was like a drink offering being poured out. Even if people disagree and pressure me and my family to conform to the standards of the "majority", we will remain steadfast in our mission to serve others. This is God's gracious gift to us - hospitality and service - in the capacity he has given to us to serve individuals and others. God has given us so much and it is in these ways he has blessed us. My passion is for him and in being peculiar in a world only interested in sameness. Being "same" is a curse the church is blind to. The church listens to too many lies brought on by the world influencing us. Instead we should be influencing the world by our absolute refusal to adopt the mindset of the world and the culture. Our attitudes about politics, doctrine and church should be markedly different. I am tired of those Christians who adopt such weak logic, regarding the necessity to be culturally relevant, and would rather believe this lie for the sake of "getting it right", than to truly trust God and let the love we have for our God flow out naturally from a heart bent on doing his will and command. In saying this, I don't get it right all the time. But I try. A friend said to me before that he consciously operates counter cultural. Yes, this is nice. But we as Christians should all be counter cultural. But he meant it differently. There are some things that are culturally of value and we should practice them in order not to be a stench to people. We claim to serve Christ, then we should be prepared to be a pleasing aroma both physically and spiritually. Physically, we should smell good - we should take care of ourselves. Spiritually, we should trust God for the right words without employing stratagems to persuade them to accept our Lord. Employing the stratagems are of us and not of God. This is not what it means to trust God when we resort to this kind of "foul play". Our peculiarity will attract those God has predestined for eternal life while at the same time it will repel others. Our business is not to be acceptable to everyone. Our business is to represent Jesus rightly.
-Joe
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