Crazy Christianity



"posted at a Christian teen dance club in Nashville"



You know what I like about blogging?

It's kinda like poetry...

(oh, and dont worry, I'll actually get to the point of the picture in just a bit... just enjoy the humor for now...) 

there aren't many hard fast rules... sure there's a million critics and tips, links, widgets and designer mantras... but there's really no way to do one... I think the trick is to be honest... too many people too many times like to put on a sort of mask- and once the actor and the stage are established, the audience comes to expect the show each time they visit... that's what i like about Archaen... in case you haven't noticed, or you're completely new- I'm just sitting in a Illinois Starbucks typing whatever really comes to mind.

That's it.

That's all.

And so I've come to what i wanted to say in the first place:

It's hard when you're used to dealing with higher things, to be suddenly faced with the lower-

and in the shuffle, forced to play the game in order to get by.

Here's what i mean...

Right now, Ryan is jobless.

During an interview with a local Christian school last week, I was asked point blank, 'how I would share the gospel with students in my class room if I asked.'

And you know what I did?

For a split second I just stared.

Just stared, sort of aghast.

Then, thankfully, my improvisation kicked in and I made some lame reply about how God was really real,

and how He became human like us to fulfill a bunch of promises made a long time ago, and died on a cross for our sins. That he rose again and because he did, we can be saved.

That's it.

Man, I thought... I feel like I just sold out to my readers, listeners and conscience all in one swift interviewer's questioning.

But what was I supposed to say? I really need a job, here's John 3:16, now go and do likewise??

Does something like that count as a compromise?

To paint a better picture, here's some more info...

First of all, the area I'm currently at is littered with generational Christians. It's kinda like when a Christian Movie asks a seemingly hypothetical question during the beginning of the story. And everyone in their right mind knows it's not really a question because the right answer glares so painstakingly obvious it's almost not worth even pointing out. You might as well just say it and be done with it in a line or two, droning on about societal morals which have rapidly lost most the meaning and power they once enjoyed during simpler times.

How would I share Christ with my students, then?

First of all, let's make sure we're all playing the same game here with definitions.

What do you mean by 'share Christ'?

And what are you assuming with the question itself?

I can generally assume that by 'share Christ' my faithful interviewer meant that,

how will I ask whether or not a particular student who may or may not be curious, asking out of genuine puzzlement, or asking out of cultural, religiously-motivated fear and shame knows about how the school chooses to define, internalize and apply the Jesus of their NIV/ NKJ bibles that they are used to assuming is.

Basically, I wonder if the kid is genuinely asking out of pure motive, an honest question (similar to my Christian Movie hypothetical opening question moment).

Do they already know 'the answer'? 

Or is it a loaded question with loaded implications.

I think the truth is that we have become so used to a Jesus and a Christianity which plugs people into coffee chugging, 'cool-christian-music', lets-play-church sort of Christianity- which "asks the REAL questions Christians need to know" sort of religion- that, for me at least, who tries very hard to deal entirely in only the the recesses of what we like to call every day, non-crazy, reality has very little honest clue how to answer when asked.

So, just like the hypothetical kid asking the question which, under the circumstances, really isnt a question, I am trying to conversely answer it.

How ought we to answer?

Go on google pictures and try typing in ''Crazy Christians" or "Awkward Christians" and just browse through what it pulls up.  There is a huge disconnect between the church and culture- and no compromise or new Bible study can heal it. But I think we can at the very least, be aware of it. How are we supposed to help or do anything else while the epidemic of awkwardness triumphs onwards? Does any one else out there see this, while still loving Jesus, and feel a whole slew of emotions for both people in the church and everyone else? For ourselves? Embarrased, at the very least, for God?

I guess I know that it's easy to be cynical, sarcastic or even blindly agreeable- and I also think most who understand me are, or are at least puzzled by it. I mean, do we humor the occasion, like I tried to do? How are we to live with the every day, Crazy Christianity... hopelessly out of touch with reality... how do we treat the people and the situations it creates?

Just something to think about- leave your comments about your own experiences, or answers- what do you do about it when faced with it?

thanks,

Ryan

Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Through how you've seen God move, we can change people through love. For more, listen to SpeakEasy radio, every Saturday night at 6pm MST on KKIM. Listen live at http://mykkim.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan