Tonight, it’s raining. I want to sit near the fire and order an amaretto sour on the rocks. Sweet, chilled and a little moody. I hope the bartender uses a slice of orange to garnish, not maraschino cherries.
In her book, “Letters to my Daughter”, Maya Angelou says when people tell her they’re a Christian, she responds, “All ready?”
“Christian” is a word bandied about way too easily (unlike “bandied” which I think could be used much more frequently). And some of the people who use the term most easily make me wince. I used to smoke, but would never identify myself as a smoker- it meant something I didn’t want to be.
Maybe not the best analogy, but you get the idea.
I don’t think being a Christian is about where I spend my Sundays. Or how quickly I can quote Jesus or sing a hymn. Or how much money I drop in a plate. Nor is it how gracefully I smile through terrible pain. It is especially not how vehemently I judge others’ Christianity or lack thereof.
And if being a Christian is determined by how I live… Well, I hope the votes are only cast on days I do well with the polls closed when I fail miserably.
I believe in God: a great big, mysterious, intimate, powerful and ultimately good God. I try to do what I can and refrain from doing other things I can (but shouldn’t) to be the person I believe God intended. And I pray every step of the way.
What about you? What makes someone a Christian?
Hi Charise, this is a lovely beginning for your blog, and I agree with what you write in this post. I like the anecdote I’ve heard, which is relevant to your post, about “what if it is declared a crime to be a Christian and you are arrested. Would the court find enough evidence to convict you?”
Come on over to my blog and say howdy 🙂
Terra