Archive for November, 2009
I’m Not One of Those…
For a long time, I attended a church that was associated with a relatively unpopular tradition of legalism and condemnation. Every time someone would ask me where I went to church, I would tell them, quickly following that statement up with, “but it’s not one of those type of churches,” and a self-aware look, so they knew that I knew my tradition was a little crazy.
Even though I’m no longer a part of that tradition, I’ve found I can’t drop the “not-one-of–those” disclaimer when people ask me where I go to church or what I believe, as, believe it or not, a great majority of Christian tradition has a flawed, unpopular tradition of legalism and condemnation.
In the comments of my last post, t4toby made a statement that intrigued me. He said, “I am not a Christian, per se…” (and then made a great point about the tension being a human, not just a Christian, condition). While I’m unsure what toby meant by his “per se,” I think that I could easily say the same thing.
Because, frankly, I’m a little embarrassed to be a Christian.
I’m not embarrassed of Jesus. He’s the single most amazing individual who has ever walked this planet and his blueprint for how people should live is unmatched. Seriously. If you can read chapters 5–7 in Matthew as a guide for life, rather than a new law we have to somehow live up to, the wisdom and freedom found in those words is amazing.
I’m not embarrassed of how following Jesus looks to the world. Paul said this well: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last…” (Rom. 1:16–17) Sure, the idea of a crucified savior is “foolish” (1 Cor. 1:25), but I trust it to be true.
I’m not embarrassed to tell people about Jesus. Again, I sincerely believe that if people lived as Jesus taught, the world as we know it would completely change. (Shoot, if just Christians lived as Jesus taught, imagine what could happen!) Why wouldn’t I want to share that message with people?
But, I am embarrassed by the mental images conjured up by some individuals when they hear the word “Christian,” whether these images are based on experience or simply perception.
It’s a shame that what was once a beautiful insult, has become an unhelpful, misleading description for a diverse group of beliefs and people.
So, how should I describe my allegiance to Jesus? Should I, along with my like-minded fellows, attempt to “reclaim” the word? Should we adopt a new word?
Will vs. Action
One of the worst things about being a Christian is the huge divide between what I want to do and what I actually do.
TV" rel="bookmark">There’s Sh*t On TV
With more than 700,000 fans and fewer than 80 tweets, Justin Halpern, creator of the popular Twitter account Sh*t My Dad Says (warning, many tweets are NSFW), has landed a TV deal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS has picked up a comedy project based on the account and enlisted the Will and Grace co-creators to produce and help write the show.
Wow.
Lemons Into Lemonade
Halpern was forced to move back in with his parents in August and decided to launch the Twitter account based on the often-hilarious quotes offered up by his father. The quotes range from “The baby will talk when he talks, relax. It ain’t like he knows the cure for cancer and he just ain’t spitting it out,” to topics that are far more profane. The account quickly grew in popularity as people began retweeting almost all of Halpern’s posts.
As far as instant Internet celebrity goes, Halpern nailed it. He came up with a simple, creative idea, and took advantage of a viral-ready platform to help give it life. I won’t pretend that he was incredibly strategic in his approach – I seriously doubt he set out to ink a TV (and book) deal – and obviously there’s no formula for recreating his success.
But stories like these (this is the second Internet meme to be offered a TV pilot this year) showcase the increasing influence of new media tools, and, perhaps, the growing desperation of traditional media outlets.
If you’ve been ignoring this shift in media, it’s time to start paying attention. These tools are a viable, affordable option for communicating your simple, creative ideas.
And who knows, you may even get a TV deal out of your efforts.