That may seem a little pessimistic to call the coming week a weird week before it has even happened, but my plan this week is to write about different reason the Christian Life is a weird life. Along with most people I have spent most of my life trying not to be weird, or to not stand out as being that different than the culture. I think it was a conscious decision by the American Church in the 1960's to the 1980's to show that Christians are not different than other people. Christians are just forgiven. Now I find that a shallow understanding of the Christian faith.
These thoughts that I have are stimulated (and informed) by Craig Groeschel's book, Weird, in which he challenges the understanding that Christians are just like other people only forgiven. If you think about it, normal as defined by our cultural doesn't really work. Trying to fit in doesn't work because you end up denying at least part of who you really are, and then become someone you are not just to stay "in."
In Deuteronomy, Moses let's the people know that what the other cultures have to offer as far as faith life goes should be totally removed from the land. Even the names of the gods should be wiped away as they burn and destroy all the physical remains of a different religion. Israel is also instructed not to copy the ways of the surrounding nations. In short, God does not want His people trying to fit in with others because they are a Holy people, set apart for a different way of living. The New Testament calls this the Kingdom of God.
As i read through the Bible this summer I am confronted constantly about a different way to live life that contrasts with what our culture might call normal. The hard part? At 50 years old it is hard to change things that have been ingrained in my life. I said it is hard. It is not impossible. So I really have no excuse. Time to get weird in Kingdom Living!
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