I cringe at the thought of All Groan Up being called a “Christian” blog — even though I’m a Christian.
Once All Groan Up is a “Christian” blog I have this looming fear that I’ll have to stop being creative, sarcastic, funny, and snarky. I’ll only be able to tweet in Bible verses. Have to write Praise Jesus!! (with two exclamation points) on a more regular basis. Have to tell every one God Bless You when responding to comments. And will have to set aside an hour a night for long, drawn out religious debates on my Facebook Wall.
I don’t have a problem with being a Christian. I just struggle with how “Christian” is sometimes applied.
(Exhibit A: “Wheat Jesus” below. A picture of a billboard I snapped next to a Kansas freeway).
The Many Faces of Christianity
The title of Christian is laced with so much baggage, preconceptions, politics, joys, pains, gag-reflexes—you name it—I’d rather not even use the term lest you lump me in with your definition of the word, good or bad.
We try to make this being a Christian thing into a list of the do’s and don’ts lest you be sent to hell. And yet it doesn’t seem as… one, two, three… as it did in Sunday School. When faith involves a lot more fury and furrowed brows, than love and laughter, well we have a problem.
Coming out of the Closet
It’s hard to come out of the “Christian Closet” these days, that’s for sure. But I have this sneaking suspicion that those who are the really “Good Christians” are sometimes the really bad, and the “Bad Christians” somehow end up looking more like Jesus, which I guess really makes them actually quite good.
A True Christian Blog
So what’s a true Christian blog? If I had to put a label on it — it would be a creative, honest place where we’re not afraid to write about those dark, smelly, secrets we all hide and then transform them with beams of hope and Jesus-Scented Air Freshner (a scent that’s kind of sweaty-sandal, mixed with red grapes).
A Christian blog would be a place that allows hope and truth to shine through words without even needing to write one single Bible verse.
And to that, I say maybe a Christian blog is not that bad after all.
Have you ever struggled with faith stereotypes?
YES. ALL THE TIME. And don’t worry- you don’t fall into the “Christian blog” sterotype. I know my blog is probably considered a “Christian” blog, and it makes me shudder too. Hopefully I don’t fall into the sterotypes that drive me insane…
Thanks Emmy
I was raised Half-Roman Catholic and Half-Anglican–a title I created for myself after meeting a friend who was Half-Muslim and Half-Roman Catholic. For that matter alone, I completely understand what you mean. I wasted too much time as a child trying to understand why Jesus was still dying in one church, and he had risen in the other. Secondly, I could never quite figure out what it took to be either a good Roman Catholic or a good Anglican. I finally reached one conclusion; we are supposed to maintain our individual relationship with God (El Shaddai) within the unity of the shared belief of the greater whole (The Church) in our saviour Jesus Christ. Creating invisible manuals of the “Christian How-Tos”, turns an otherwise beautiful relationship into an empty ritualistic order that is in my case reminiscent of those lovely catechism books.
So good and true. It’s crazy the invisible how-to’s that we live by yet don’t realize. Thanks for the great thoughts
I love my faith and I love my God but it is really scary sometimes to say you are Christian right now because people have such stereotypes about Christians. I strive to let my actions speak for my faith every day though. But don’t fear having to lose your creativity, snarkiness, funniness, and sarcasm. Because at least one of the major Christian bloggers that I really love out there is all of those things – while also being a place to talk about the serious stuff of Christianity. It’s not my blog (I wish I was that clever) but have you ever heard of Stuff Christians Like (http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/)? Because he is clearly a Christian blogger but he maintains his sense of humor and everything like that. So just to show you that being a Christian blogger doesn’t have to be the end of that.
Thanks Melissa. There’s actually quite a few “Christian” blogs that I love. Stuff Christians Like definitely one of them. There definitely seems to be a movement to cut out the cookie cutter cliche when writing about faith. An exciting trend…
A really good, honest, no bullshit blog on which multiple Christian writers struggle through life and its challenges.
adeeperstory.com
No “praise Jesus!!” here. Or Wheat Jesus- what is UP with THAT?
Ha! Thanks Kerry. I had not heard of a Deeper Story. Definitely will check out.
very relatable. i try to be as authentic as possible about my faith. I don’t deny it, but i don’t write in a way that makes people box me in: Santorum, anti-gay, anti-women, etc.
i agree that this is a good trend, but as you said, it’s a trend. i see a popular trend of people almost gloryifying brokenness, and while our stories are for a purpose, it can be so depressing and dark… when we need to shine LIGHT and glorify what God has done through our brokenness (yeah, i said it 🙂 ). I just hope that’s what i do on my blog.
Thanks for a thoughtful post!
Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I complete agree that we can’t be about sharing brokenness just for brokenness sakes. The most powerful stories are those that are weaved in honesty and redemption. We must show understanding and then inspire. As someone who has sat in the same mud and yet can offer a hand up. Thanks!
Yeh, I here you. It’s a shame the culture of Christianity has a tenancy to obscure the object of our faith,
thanks, Graeme
Thanks Graeme. Well said