In the past few days I've been trying to come to grips with my faith. I call myself a Christian, and I do sometimes act like one, but I'm not without my faults; and one of the biggest hurdles for me to cross is how a Christian should act. I don't mean the obvious, like should I go to nudie bars or do drugs, but rather, what should my disposition be? I'm a pretty laid-back kind of guy. I don't go for flash, and I have no pretensions about myself. A lot of literature that
I have in my possession states that I need to give up just about everything except, perhaps, breathing, but just barely. When I parouse that kind of stuff, I get a mental picture of these dour, stiff-necked people who wear suits all the time, and whose faces would probably crack if the smiled and would explode if they laughed. I don't know if it's just a long dormant stereotype I've got in my head or if I'm just not that committed, but I don't really want to live like that. I
suppose that that's one of the challenges of being a Christian. Like the popular catchphrase goes:
"What would Jesus do?", it's all about trying to emulate the One who's the best model. Did Jesus laugh? Most certainly. Did He cry? Definitely. Would He deny us the joy of celebrating life? I doubt it. More than anything else, Christianity is an individualistic faith. Each person has to find his or her own way. We all have to take responsibility for our own journey, that's why Jesus must become each person's personal Saviour. In the late sixties, some hippy types became involved in what was known as the Jesus Movement. They became Christians in spite of their unconventional ways. Were they accepted by God? I suppose they were. Jesus Himself was a bit of an agitator while He was here, and with all due respect, I can't imagine Him being all dour and sour-pussed. He was probably very lively and animated, He'd have to be to deal with all those Pharisees; who were probably just as serious and stiff-necked as some Christians are today. If you read through the Gospels, you kind of get the impression that part of what Jesus was trying to say was, "Lighten up! Loosen your collars and just enjoy what the Father has given you."Amen to that, Brother, amen.
