If you ask most Christian what they believe in, most of them will they you, “Christians believe that Jesus is God and He died for all of mankind’s sins, and then later rose from the dead.” Yet, if you ask a Christian how they live, they are struck silent. Most Christians basically lived like everybody else, sprinkling a little Jesus and occasionally invite their friends to their youth group. The doctrine is not very attractive, even if it’s true. Few people are interested in Christianity that has nothing to say to the world and only offers them only life after death, when what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death? I’m convinced that Jesus came not just to prepare us to die but to teach us also how to live. Otherwise, much of Jesus’ preaching would be quite unnecessary for the afterlife. Think about it, how hard is it to love your enemy in heaven? In addition the kingdom that Jesus speaks about so much is not just something in which we hope for after we die, but it’s something we are to incarnate now. Jesus says the kingdom of God is “within us” or “among us,” and we that it may come “on earth as it is in heaven” That explains why the early Christian Church was called the Way. It was a totally new and radical life that stood in glaring contrast to the world. What gave early Christians integrity was the fact that they could denounce the empire and in the same breath say, “And we have another way of living. If you are tired of what the empire has to offer, we invite you into the Way.” Coming out of elementary school, I was pretty unwilling to “conform to the pattern of this world,” as the Scriptures say (Rom. 12:2) I knew that there was a broad way which lead to death and destruction, and a narrow way that led to life. In middle school, I would always correct my friends whether it was a curse word or something stupid, and thus later I would invite them to my youth group or a Christian event. Most said no, and occasionally some said “okay fine.” I was wondering what I was doing what was wrong, and one day as I was looking back, I saw how wow, I was a major hypocrite. People say Christians aren’t hypocrites.. Duh! Notice what we say when we repent. Praise God we have a merciful Father, who paid the price for our iniquities. Living in this generation, a lot of us know it’s easy to get sucked into the flow. Whether eating that lollypop when you’re fasting sweets, or slipping a curse, it’s hard to be that picture perfect Christian. The good news is that we don’t, for Jesus already die for our transgressions. He told us not to worry about it for He was the Good Shepard and He laid down His life for us. What Christ does call us to do, it to be disciples, not just believers, but lovers of the One who loved us first. One person once took a survey, and asked Christians if Jesus spent time with the poor, 80% of them agreed that He did. Yet, once he popped in the question whether any of them spent time with the poor, only 2% said yes. I learned a lesson where we can worship and praise Jesus yet not knowing what He did. We can adore and praise the Cross without taking up ours. Some people will still chose to live in modern Christianity casually just going to church and fellowship, yet outside the church doors they’re just the same as the kids next door, yet some will decide to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow after Jesus Christ hard. Without hindrance and boldly confessing, these are the people, the radicals if you may call it, which change generations and lives, completely relying on God’s grace and love to transform the world. Just like that and something amazing happens. Like what Mother Teresa said, “It’s not about how much you do, but it’s about how much love you put in the things you do.” Little or big, it’s all for God’s glory and His love for us, and it’s just like that, when we come become ordinary radicals.
