We need a new identity as Christians.
Some people have tried to indicate that by creating new titles for Christians. Perhaps it’s use of a preceding adjective, such as “authentic.” Other times it’s by replacing the word Christian with the more hip term Christ-follower. The problem is not the label on the package; it’s the expired contents therein.
We need to stop defining ourselves by what we DON’T do and what we’re AGAINST. We need to stop listing off the possible bad things a person can do, exhorting one another to be more pure, more self-controlled. It’s been said, “We’re fishers of men, not cleaners of fishbowls.” I beg to differ. “Not sinning” isn’t what makes us more like Jesus.
Instead, we need to become known for what we DO, what we are FOR. We need to be known as people who love deeply, compassionately, and fully. That is the way we become more like Jesus. We start genuinely caring for others, regardless of our personal feelings about them or their particular sins. We need to be the first to rush in to care for the victims, the oppressed, the hungry, the sick, the naked, the poor, the widows, the children. We need to be the last to leave. We need to listen to the stories of hurting people and offer comfort without judgment. And yes, we need to clean the damn fishbowls!
