My family is falling apart at the seams. My friendships and relationships are mostly spent at venues or bars. My days are spent working to the point of exhaustion. I no longer go to a church, nor do I have any desire to return.
I've noticed that I've asked myself "What would be the Christian thing to do?" less and less everyday. Because, no matter what I do, it always ends up being the Christian thing to do. Because I'm a Christian.
I used to worry about "doing the Christian" thing more and more throughout my youth and teenage years. I used to worry on a daily basis:
Should I give the homeless guy some change? Should I forgive my ex boyfriend for the stupid thing he did to me? Should I get up and go to church even though I was out way too late last night? Should I stop cussing?
Recently I have had friends, after realizing my beliefs, become surprised.
"Mandi, I had no idea you were a Christian."
"Wow, you don't strike me as a Christian."
"I find it so weird that you are a Christian."
At first, these statements used to make me upset: was I not living "the Christian life"? Was I not being the disciple Christ called me to be? was my light not shining bright enough?
After many discussions with these people, I came to the realization that they're not surprised that I believe in a God and behave the way I do; they're surprised that I am categorized as a Christian and behave the way I do.
Let me break it down this way...my friends find it weird that I:
Support marriage equality and transgender issues, fully and whole-heartedly
Support pro-choice for women in terms of pregnancies, because it's not my body nor my life to choose for them
Stay out late drinking with friends
Befriend, date, and even live with atheists
Choose not to succumb to the gender norms of women
Have tattoos (even though half of them are religion-based)
Have depression, and (heaven forbid) talk about it
Stand up for myself when people push me down
...and I still call myself a Christian.
Because, by today's standards, that's not what a Christian is.
Christians don't support gay marriage.
Christians don't support sex changes and transgender roles.
Christians don't support abortion.
Christians don't participate in alcohol-consumption, especially on Saturday nights when they have to go to church the next morning.
Christians only hang out with other Christians.
Christian women marry and have children with their Christian husbands (and by my age, some of them are on their second or third child).
Christians are taught to treattheir body as a temple.
Christians are always happy.
Christians treattheir neighbor with love and care, always.
I'm not that kind of Christian.
My God told me to, above all else, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And second, to love my neighbor.
That includes homosexuals, people who don't agree with me, and, especially, people who don't share the same faith as me.
So next time someone tells me they're surprised to hear I'm a Christian, I will simply respond by saying, "I follow the teachings of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love my God and my neighbors. Does that not make me a Christian?"
Because, above all else, love is the only thing that matters.
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