“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” -John 13:35
“Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” -Matthew 7:20
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:14-16
There is nothing in all of our modern society which can more quickly draw my ire than seeing people who proclaim “Christianity” in some manner or another and in doing so do more to drag Christ’s name through the mud than to give it glory. I felt this recently in watching a reality show where a girl wearing multiple crosses spent the hour unveiling her sexual indiscretions and activities in front of her mother, boyfriend, and a national audience, without remorse, in an attempt to win money! I feel it every time a celebrity takes the mic at an awards show and thanks God for giving them the talent to write songs about drugs or perform so well in their sex scene.
But more than that, I see it everyday on t-shirts, jewelry, t-shirts and even Facebook groups, all of which have become more about pop culture and less about a revolutionary lifestyle. Now, I don’t want this to be a series of ranting about some rapper who referenced God or some guy with a Jesus fish decal who cut me off. Instead, I want this to be a way for us to critically examine the ways in which we identify ourselves as Christians and see if the message we are trying to give is the right one.
Please hear this: I don’t believe that for a Christian to wear or display certain self-identifying markers is a bad thing. I personally wear a cross necklace on a daily basis which is very non-traditional, with a good conscience, and so feel in no position to be casting stones about that. However, as a Christian there is a certain level of discernment which we need to exhibit so that our markers are emblematic but not detrimental. In this there are two things we must consider.
First, we must make sure that the symbol is not bad theology. This is directed especially towards bumper stickers and t-shirts. There are so many of these items available which are clearly meant for a Christian consumer, and yet the message they give is a total misconstruing of Biblical teaching. If we are going to brand ourselves, make sure that that brand is at least true to the message it conveys. Second, we must beware of making the marker an idol instead of an emblem. If our identity revolves around wearing a specific item or signing emails with a certain verse instead of around the God who loves us, then we have stepped into territory where we dare not tread.
This said, randomly over the next little bit I want to share with you guys some of the ways in which we identify ourselves as Christians that may or may not give off the right message, always keeping in mind that the verse does not say “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, that you wear those wicked cool Jesus shirts every Wednesday!”
Posted by Todd Burus
