There are circles of people today where, believe it or not, the most effective means to sharing your faith in Christ is by way of explaining why you are not a Christian. Today’s thoughts will shed some light on that.
There were a couple of you from the Chicago area who wanted more information about my friend’s poetry-reading ministry in that city after reading yesterday’s Catch (www.fischtank.com). Here are his own words:
I live in Chicago with my wife and 4 daughters where we do ministry in Chicago’s spoken word poetry community. Much of it involves my being the “token Christian” at several open mics around the city. It is very nontraditional and mostly involves trying to figure out what it is to be a follower of Christ in an artistic culture that often finds itself in conflict with the church. I have found that people don’t want to be preached at, but they are very open to discussing faith and spiritual things. I have also found that people will listen to people who love them. Real love is such a rare commodity in our world that people will put up with almost anything from someone who loves them. I think that is why they often have a genuine respect for Jesus, but distrust the church. He showed love perfectly. We haven’t always done so well.
Have you found this to be true: When people explain why they are not a Christian, nine out of ten times you agree with them? Based on what they understand of Christianity and the church, I bet you wouldn’t be either.
Well that’s exactly what you should do. Announce you are not a Christian; you are a follower of Jesus. Resist the temptation to try and fix everything that’s wrong with Christianity in this culture. More times than not, what people are rejecting, you don’t want to be a part of anyway. This rejection of cultural Christianity can be a point of agreement opening the way for more meaningful dialogue on what a Christian is anyway.
It’s got to be this way, because, as my friend says, people are very open to discussing faith and spiritual things. Find where people are at and get there. It’s the more loving thing to do, and everyone is open to being loved.
John Fischer The Catch 
I really like the idea of calling myself a follower of Jesus. I hear too many boast of Christianity while behavior doesn’t show that they are. Still, your post reminds me of the following poem. Good reminder for those of us who dare to say we are followers of Christ. The poem is often credited to Maya Angelou, the the real author is Carol Wimmer.
When I Say “I Am A Christian”
by Carol Wimmer
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I am saved”
I’m whispering “I get lost!”
“That is why I chose this way.”
When I say…”I am a Christian”
don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I’m loved.
——————————————————————————–
Thank you so much for that poem Betty! I married young…the same month I turned 21… to a man who I thought was a fabulous “Christian”… he graduated from a high end college with a bachelors degree in religion…planning to be a youth pastor. I married him right after he graduated. It was the worst mistake of my life. I stayed married for 21 years because I made a covenant with God. I have learned since, however, that this man broke his covenent right away… as he emotionally abused me immediately. From getting counseling I realized he abused me while dating, but I wanted to get away from my abusive parents…so I married the first man who was interested. Oh, did I mention my parents are Christians as well? So, now I am away from the abuse and I am dating the most wonderful man I have ever met… and I have known him since grade school. We just reconnected over facebook. He was raised Christian, and I don’t know why yet, but he has rejected everything. He is as hurt as I am, but the relationship is too new to know why. He literally threw the baby Jesus out with the bath water. Well, I have never ever ever been treated so well, and I have never seen a man follow Christ’s footsteps as far as love and kindness that this man does… yet he says he is not a Christian. I tell him I am, but I am different. I love this poem. It is my life. I hope he sees it and he retrieves the baby, without the bathwater. 🙂 Thank you again!!
p.s. I am posting the poem on my facebook! 🙂
I am glad the poem spoke to you. Thanks for sharing your story.
I can’t help but agree wholeheartedly with John & his new Chicago friend. They would truly fit in at my Friday night group. At Celebrate Recovery we do not proselatize, nor do we expouse any particular Christian theology. We begin our meeting in a very simple but real way. “Hi, I’m Mark, I’m a greatfull believer in Jesus Christ. My past struggles include……(fill in the blank). By introducing myself in this way, I am saying that I am a believer who struggles. God is really more concerned with who I am rather than what I do. He is concerned with my character & values. My identity is in my Lord & Savior-Jesus Christ, not in my struggles. He’s not at all interested in my denominational affilliation, creeds, dogma, or religiosity. He only wants me to follow Him. His desire is to have an authentic relationship with me. I’m not asking anyone to join my group, but just imagine the next time you introduce yourself to someone you say, ” Hi, I’m _____, I’m a faithfull believer in Jesus Christ, who struggles with…..a broken world…..hypocrisy…..sin…..failing religious systems…..etc. Jesus didn’t invite me to join a religious group, club, church, political party, He just said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28. …….Peace
I like this.
One of the best ways I’ve found to find “common ground” is to tell the person “I often imagine God up in heaven, looking down at us, holding his head and saying ‘I said WHAT?'” It’s a picture we can all agree with, and uses some humor to let them know that I’m not in lockstep with the stereotype.
Religion is about power and control. It’s seductively appealing because we can do something to reconcile ourselves to God (which is, of course, ludicrous).
I’ve been calling myself a Follower of Jesus for a long time now. Thanks for putting these thoughts into words.
Best regards,
Tom
P.S. — I’m listening to “All Day Song” from “Still Life”. My, does THAT bring back some great memories!
Thanks Tom. Glad you’re enjoying the music!
I know what you’re saying, John, and I agree that we should avoid labels and just “walk the talk and talk the walk.” But if you literally rejected Christian culture, or even just the concept of Christian culture, you would be rejecting 90% of the world’s great art, great music, great literature, great architecture, etc. Why can’t we change the meaning of the word “Christian” and the content of Christian culture by putting better examples out there, by BEING a better example? Must we throw the baby out with the bathwater?
Who we are IN CHRIST and what we do IN CHRIST is what Christianity (CHRIST-IN-ME) and Christian Culture (CHRIST-IN CULTURE) are to me. If someone reads it differently, that’s their privilege. But I don’t believe we need to apologize for being Christians just because someone doesn’t like the word, has had a bad experience, or there have been bad examples of Christians out there. That’s THEIR baggage, not ours. We don’t need to change because they have issues – THEY do. We just need, as I said, to walk the talk and talk the walk, and let God do what He’s going to do with it.
At the same time, we need to “become all things to all men” and not put stumbling blocks in people’s paths. That, I believe, is where we have problems. We really don’t care about other people. Changing my label from “Christian” to “Follower of Jesus,” and still being selfish as all get-out, is not going to solve the problem.
Thanks for your words, John.
From your response, I think we are mostly dealing with semantics and probably agree much more than we disagree. But here is my take.
The point is not rejecting everything about Christian Culture. The point is making a distinction between Jesus and the church. Visible “Christianity” has motivated people to both build hospitals and kill abortion doctors. Anywhere I see the church following Jesus bringing love and reconciliation to the world, I can embrace it. However, when the church doesn’t measure up to the calling of Christ, I think we must humbly own that and repent. In some cases, the people creating the “baggage” may not even be followers of Jesus and may be “Christian” in name only, but baggage is still created, and many not-yet-Christians are carrying that baggage around.
I can try to say that the baggage was created by someone else, and they should own it not me. But I like to look at it as a wound. It doesn’t matter if the it was inflicted by another “Christian,” it is my responsibility as a follower of the Great Physician to spread His healing. The best way I have found to do that is to point out that the church (including myself) has often failed to live up to the teaching of Jesus. That’s why we need the grace and forgiveness of Jesus.
I once had someone tell me they might like to follow Jesus if they didn’t have to become a Christian. In their eyes, Jesus meant one thing. Christian meant something totally different. If I have to choose between Jesus and “Christian,” I’ll take Jesus.
You are right that the world doesn’t need us to change labels as much as it needs us to be changed into the image of Christ, following His example of love and sacrifice. The more we do that, the less the labels will matter.
Waitsel:
Enough with the talk. “walk the talk and talk the walk.” There has been WAY too much talk and not enough walk. That’s the problem. It’s like being a parent: you can nag all you like, but the kids are deaf. When you talk softly and steadfastly and confidently walk the walk: it’s louder than a fly-by on opening day.
I love your observation that shouting rhetoric while continuing selfish, hypocritcal, oblivious to His message, behavior is completely defeating. Right on.
A bad experience is “their baggage?” Not ours? Truly? In Christ, we are one. And your words come across as arrogant and dismissive (I’m not trying to be hateful, rude, or judgmental. Just saying.) And “if you have a problem with my title or group, that’s on you.” Is that your opinion? Is that how you believe Christ would view it? Is that an attitude of acceptance, love and your talk/walk anaolgies? There are bad examples in every single religion and throughout humanity and history. Stumbling blocks in people’s paths: that is a summary of my view of “religion” and the reality of life. Are you leading others to His truth or turning them off with your judgment?
You and I, not other man, woman or child, cannot and will not become “all things to all men.” The best we can do is be open, forgiving, understanding, supporting and loving and let God be the final judge. That is the walk you were talking about.
Good point.
Back in college I took a risk. I read Bertrand Russell’s book “Why I am not a Christian.” It was a risk because, after all, this guy was one of the more prominent philosophers of the 20th century. He was likely to provide arguments against Christianity that I could not address. And then where would I be?
What I discovered was that his argument was not against Christianity, but against the Church, and all the evil that had been carried out by the Church and/or in the name of Christianity. I was actually a bit disappointed: Is that your best shot? I could not argue with the faults he found in the Church – his arguments came from history, not theology, not faith, not philosophy – but his points did nothing to challenge the veracity of our faith.
On the other hand, how SAD it is that – as “Christians,” Followers of Jesus,” or whatever label we decide to use – the way we live out our faith is turning people AWAY from Christ, the one we are following.
“Why I am not a Christian” is all about labels and semantics. Is this what Jesus is about?
My comment is that it is all about how you treat people, the way Jesus treated people. Jesus spoke the truth. The truth is not relative. The truth 2,000 years ago is still the truth today.
If I call myself a Christian and that alone alienates people, that is between them and God.
Good one!
A recent conversation with a new acquaintance screamed out the message of this devotional. The person was raised in the church, gave up on it, and now he is totally bitter about the church and claimed to be an atheist; but he openly stated, “I so want to find God”. My role in this new relationship at that time was to listen (he knew where I stood), and it was tough not stepping in to provide answers. But I sensed he intellectually knew those answers, there was yet a heart that needed God’s touch.
Keep reminding us of the way that it is: we are followers of Him who died for us. . .
Amen ! This is exactly correct as we have seen many who attach the name of Jesus Christ to their ‘ministries’ do so to lend weight and authority to what they say …knowing many who claim his name do not KNOW what his WORD actually says…especially those who are ‘entering in ‘
That is why Jesus exhorted us to ‘strive to enter in ‘ …it is the only place that I am aware of that he said we would have to ‘strive’
In times of war …the siege is at the gate of the city’s polis…or wall …
We must exert the effort to KNOW what GOD’S WORD actually says
You cannot tell the ‘players’ without a program …and God has provided us with HIS “software’ so that we may KNOW what is truth and what is error.
Taking the TIME to MAKE time is crucial …because many wolves circle the flock to try to pick off the ‘lambs’ …that is not anyone according to ‘age’ but according to knowledge
We need to heed the ‘seek daily ‘ and spoudaso’ or study with diligence and meekness the engraphed word of GOD that is able to save our souls and not be deceived because of lack of knowledge
Thank you John as we are to be FOLLOWERS of HIM who IS THE TRUTH …
Excellent !
I need to meet this poet friend friend of yours. God has called many others like him to the spoken word community. It’s a place where creative conversations about faith are welcomed and heard. It would be good to exchange ideas and experiences. Could you connect us?
Waste A Life
Copyright 2009 Iambic Christian
I really don’t think it’s possible to live a life that doesn’t matter,
And every human being should be worthy of some honor.
And I don’t believe that God, if He were listening, would agree
With anyone who thinks that all this stuff is ours for free.
And I haven’t really taken time to understand the essence
Of the line between not knowing and obvious indifference,
So I can’t resist this restless feeling that everything will count,
That things we all neglect are weighed, along with things we don’t.
And no matter where I look I can see imago dei,
Disfigured and abused in some, but still a breath away
From every dream that ever startled us or jolted in the night.
More real and satisfying, even sharper than the knife
That cuts away the callous of a soul merely amused
To expose us to the feeling that reality’s a ruse.
I have to face the facts I find; come clean with my conclusion
That to find a living dream inside this life is an illusion
When the stuff that feels so real it steals my ultimate affection,
Turns out to be the very thing that limits my direction.
And while Arrogance has proven—she’ll betray the one who loves her,
Humility has chosen—to be faithful to her suitors.
And every man who ever drew a breath will swear it’s true,
That what you have won’t satisfy, and what you want consumes you,
So I still believe that every living person is a treasure.
But I also still believe that most of us are lost forever.
And that, happy souls who worship gods that they themselves have made
Are unlikely to avoid becoming little more than slaves
To mere contentment, trading time for every whim,
And so remain a race, content to waste a life that could have been…
Nice poem. I sent him your email address.
Thanks, John, for the gift of encouraging us to listen.
It’s easy to find tracts and tools to share our faith, to equip us to be ready to “present” the Gospel. I wonder if there are some good questions that this community could come up with that might equip us to be good listeners.
If our desire is to love people by listening to their stories, and we have in our tool belts a few questions that people seem to respond to, it might help us to “always be prepared” (1 Peter 3:15) to be the prototype of a follower of Christ in that moment.
Does anyone have good conversation starter questions (or questions to avoid)?
wow. john, you’ve been on fire lately, bro! this one struck a chord in me. about a year ago, i listened to a “christian” radio talk show in which the host and guest were unbelievably cruel and hateful in some comments they made about gays. having several friends who are gay, i decided then and there that i would begin identifying myself as a follower of Jesus rather than a Christian, because the term “christian” had been hijacked by people like the guys on the radio.
thanks for these words, today and every day. God bless…
That approach is a little too pragmatic for me. Scripture states that “the disciples Were called Christians first in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26) I think that it is important that we are honest. Playing a semantics game of follower of Jesus vs. Christian to me is a masquerade. If people are offended by Christianity, there offense is with God. I try to respect others beliefs and agree to disagree respectfully. I try to stand for the Truth and not compromise the Gospel of Christ. I realize that the modern Christian culture has its challenges and faults, but that is the way it has been from the beginning of the New Testament Church. The church has human members that frequently do not love God and others as they should. All we can do is our best to love others as Christ loves us. Changing the label on the package to hope for better marketing seems like a ploy. Having a life practice and loving manner towards others that emulates Christ is the better way to go to me. Deliver what you promise and the product will self itself. I do not think that non-believers are looking for perfection from Christians. They just want to see genuine Christ-like love in the way we treat each other and those that are not yet Christians. I realize our disagreement may be perceived as minor but I think that it is somewhat more significant than that. I think we should distinguish ourselves as Christians by expressing our challenges with the modern Church and not by trying to possibly water down the Gospel of Christ by diminishing the word Christian by calling ourselves followers of Jesus. The two titles are synonymous why try to mask your true identity to hope not to offend. Legalism and license are usually the stumbling block not believers calling themselves Christians. Gracious Christians that express the Gospel in words and actions is what attracts the lost to Christ.
Semantics matter. There are Christians who consider themselves fundamentalists because they believe in the fundamentals of the faith (deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the inerrancy of Scripture, etc). Yet when I asked one of my not-yet-believing friends what a fundamentalist was, he replied “a dude waving a knife.” I believe in the fundamentals of the faith, but if I my friends think fundamentalists (Christian or Muslim) are terrorists, I’ll avoid that word and try to use one that they will understand. It’s not better marketing, it’s better communication.
You state that “If people are offended by Christianity, there offense is with God.” I would disagree. Some people are offended by Christianity because to them, Christianity is priests who sexually abuse children, or churches who celebrate military casualties and picket funerals with homophobic signs. I don’t think their offense is with God, it is with Christians. We can argue about whether the offense is with true Christianity or with a false version, but we then we are forced into arguing about who is a true Christian, and in reality none of us totally measure up to the example of Christ. Rather than argue about who can legitimately call themselves Christian, I would rather talk about Jesus.
You say that the two titles are synonymous. I agree they originally were synonymous, and they should be synonymous. But in our culture I question whether they are. I don’t think we should mask our identity. But if I say I’m a Christian and someone thinks that means I am a hateful, intolerant, bigot; I have failed to communicate my true identity as a child of God.
This may not be true in every context. In some parts of the country, Christian might still mean follower of Christ and communicate clearly to people. But in many places it carries so much baggage the definition has changed into something unbiblical.
One thing to consider is that there is a distinction between being a follower of Jesus and a follower of Christ. There are Muslims that call themselves followers of Jesus. Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet but not the Christ. I think if we do want to call ourselves followers than it should be “followers of Jesus The Christ.” Peter proclaimed that Jesus was The Christ.
The challenge with some Fundamentalists is the legalism they add to the Gospel. The Fundamentals of the Faith are scriptural and are what I prefer to call primary beliefs. The media hi-jacked the term “Fundamentalist” and labeled the Muslim terrorists with that tag. I consider myself a Fundamentalist but not a legalist and certainly not a terrorist. I do not believe that the founders of Fundamentalism intended for the legalistic separatism to be added to their belief system.
Another translation of the word Christian in Acts 11:26 would be Messianic. There are also those that would take offense to that. I think that our actions define us more than the World’s perception of our culture. Jesus faced criticism from the Pharisees that his power was of satan (lowercase intended). There is nothing new under the Sun. Jesus, the Disciples, Christianity, and the New Testament Church encountered accusations from the beginning.
The challenge with some Fundamentalists is the legalism they add to the Gospel. The Fundamentals of the Faith are scriptural and are what I prefer to call primary beliefs. The media hi-jacked the term “Fundamentelist” and labeled the Muslim terrorists with that tag. I consider myself a Fundamentalist but not a legalist and certainly not a terrorist. I do not beleive that the founders of Fundamentalism intended for the legalistic separatism to be added to their belief system.
Another translation of the word Christian in Acts 11:26 would be Messianic. There are also those that would take offense to that. I think that our actions define us more than the World’s perception of our culture. Jesus faced criticism from the Pharisees that his power was of satan (lowercase intended).
Thank you John for your work. I enjoyed your writing on Purpose Driven Life for some time but admit I’ve not been using the online resources much lately. Your writing today about the spoken word community in Chicago was timely – my youngest daughter is home (from Chicago) for the weekend. She first introduced me to Donald Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” where Donald makes a similar argument as you against the contaminated label of “Christian” in favor of a culturally acceptable, even hospitable reaction to the name of Jesus. So I bought the line and used the term “follower of Jesus” on some of my web profiles. Then recently I read of church leaders who were doing the same – and also going so far as to renouncing many of the beliefs that I have as a f-of-J. The same contaminates plague “Christians” and “followers of Jesus” alike. The “old nature” still exists to some degree in all believers – even the most reconciled to Christ. Given enough time all labels will carry their own baggage so why not stick with what we are called to be – “little Christs” aka Christians.
I thoroughly appreciated the other comments on this thread and may we go into our daily world as a shining example of Jesus’ love – regardless of label.
This will always be the problem with any label. Got to just live it out.
My dear friend in Christ’s Love:
John: your words struck a deep, resonant chord with me today.
It deeply saddens me that one must be careful, apologetic, or ashamed to admit and exemplify a commitment as a follower and lover of JC. That’s just not right.
I’m a waitress. I am not ashamed, nor do I make excuses for waiting tables. It is a daily golden (or perhaps platinum) opportunity to witness, give to others, and openly pour love on other humans (who then get to judge me and pay me for my love or not: just like pastors). Realistically, I have a college degree, an IQ of 160 and the ability to do whatever God wants of me. I chose to wait tables willingly and feel called to give of myself, my care and love to the many human beings/souls I have the opportunity to bestow God’s love upon. Because frankly, it isn’t me or my love that I feel or give to others. It is extremely difficult to love, give care to and support a whole lot of “those folks.”
Do I attend church? Uh, no. I am consistently challenged by and repulsed at so-called “Christians” and the religious cacophony, politics, economics, hypocrisy, and judgment of churches and their zealots. Islam, Judaism, Christianity: they all have their bullies, hypocrites and pharisees. That’s not what God is interested in: no matter which flag you’re flying or your stated purpose and beliefs. HE is interested and concerned with loving others, caregiving, and serving His peeps. That message is the same in every “religion.”
I had the incredible opportunity to visit Rome and attend a service at the Vatican. John Paul II was amazing. The art was indescribable. But my overall impression was this: Jesus’ “temper tantrum and fury” at the temple, which is described in all four gospels, btw, was the warm up band for the headliner when He returns and witnesses the graft, greed, hypocisy, and judgment of “the church”, in His name, and their “gift stations.” I personally have witnessed more evil within “the church” and in His name, so much so, that it embarrasses and angers me for God and for everything Jesus of Nazareth endured and bought for so many souls that abuse, and corrupt, in His name.
I live in Kansas: home of Fred Phelps, an abomination to the name and message of Jesus Christ. Apparently, Mr. Phelps has appointed himself to God’s position as judge and jury, and completely missed the true message: Love, support and give to one another. God will judge us all when we are received or denied. I truly believe that when I go there, I will have my moment in God’s office to discuss my successes and failures. HE will judge me and who am I to supercede His authority by judging others? I am here to love, accept, give, and witness through my deeds and attitude His love, acceptance and commandments.
Religion, all of them, are man made and inherently corrupt. God’s Love is universal. Sin is sin. Every single one of us is guilty: drug addicts, politicians who abandon God, greedy CEO’s, Ghaddafi, Hitler, and the Pope. We are all sinners: saved by the Grace of God. Saved by a love so deep that He would sacrifice His beloved son, brutally and savagely, to get our attention and to say, “Wake up! You are missing the point, people!!!!”
I am NOT a Christian, muslim, or Jew. I consider myself God’s ambassador (if He will have me). Some days, I am more effective than others. Every day, I ask God to use me to communicate His message or to show true love thru me to someone who needs it or is willing to receive His love. That’s all I have to give. And I believe with all of my heart that is what God wants of each and every one of us. That is the pennacle of salvation, His truth and JC’s message.
If we would all discard titles, status, and heirarchy, and simply focus on loving and accepting one another: what an amazing Eden we would have here on earth.