It Takes All Kinds

In 2007, a CCN special covered extremists of both the Christian and Muslim religions. While I personally do not find fairness in the comparative of suicidal bombers and teenagers seeking to make their life and world better, I must concede that there are those who claim to follow Christ that leave a very bad taste in the mouths of not only those outside the church, but those within. I feel there are 3 types of "Christians": the Crusaders, the Lovers, and the Seat Warmers.

The Seat Warmers seem to be the most common, and often most frustrating. They come to church every Sunday, smiling and nodding through Pastor's sermon, give their tithes, and go to their Sunday lunches feeling generally well pleased with themselves. Unfortunately, that's about all they give of themselves. Their lives are their own, not truly belonging to Christ, and thus impotent to His kingdom. When it comes down to the hardwire, they choose the easy way out, and it doesn't affect their consciences any because they never really had conviction to back it up. They could be anyone: the high school football coach who knows every hymn by heart and every swear word on the foot ball field; the stay at home mom, who believes righteousness is found in good works like pies and hugs; the A+ student, who just sees God as another check mark on their life list of accomplishments. Or the store clerk, who knows nothing else but church on Sundays, and who has a hangover from his party last night.

The Crusaders are a little rarer, but more vocal. They are the ones who manage to get us on television, and not in an Oprah Winfrey kinda way. Think more like Ted Bundy. You know who I'm talking about, the ones who even their mothers deny knowing because they've just blown up an abortion clinic, or shot one of the doctors who works there, or mobbed a homosexual or transvestite walking home down the wrong alley at the wrong time. These people give God a bad name, and it's little wonder that when someone tries to stand up and say God's way is the right way, we're opposed and called intolerant bigots who murder people to "save lives", namely those of innocent children. My argument with them lies in the ironic belief that the "sanctity of life" applies only to those who cannot lift a hand to help themselves. Athiest and God-fearer alike cringes at the sound of a crusader on their soap box.

That really only leaves one other type of Christian. Jesus said, "If you love me, do as I do". I believe there are those who truly seek to love as Jesus did, to share His story with the world and show them life and freedom such as they've never known. The term "christian" was a Greek term used to describe Christ's followers, "little Jesus's", because their actions and love and miracles were so like Christ's that people who had never personally met this Yeshua of Nazareth would ask, "Is this He who they speak of?" This group of people is often hindered by those who are crusading for the god of their own creation, or who are drowning in apathy and don't even realize it.

What kind of Christian do you think you are? Is your life your own? Or have you made the ultimate sacrifice and given every piece of you to the service and love of the Creator? Think about it, because next time Dateline makes a special, it may be about you....

~Char