For those who have been reading this blog, I decided to move onto a new url and a new blog and to really step up my game.
I just published a new post this morning at the-kristensolis.blogspot.com
I would really love for you to check it out.
Thanks!
NEW BLOG: the-kristensolis.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Relient K’s Collapsible Lung: From End to End
You should know right now that this is not an album review… but more of a reaction to their latest album, Collapsible Lung, and the fall-out it’s causing amongst fans.
Relient K is the band that I forget is one of my favorite
bands till I check my Last.Fm account. I’ve been a fan of theirs since middle
school. They’ve had a huge influence on me, especially my writing. I grew up
with them. They always had a song for whatever I was going through. And I
unintentionally quote their lyrics all the time.
After waiting what seemed like an eternity for new songs,
rumors of a new album started to spread. I cannot tell you how excited and
curious I was especially after Forget and Not Slow Down. The moment any new
song leaked or when the entire album leaked, I was all over it. (Don’t worry I
pre-ordered it anyways.)
So for a good month, I had it before a majority of people
did. I genuinely enjoyed it. It was a great to jam out to. And I knew there was
more to it than just a mere ‘pop album’, that it needed to be listened to a
thousand times before the epiphanies would hit, which is standard Relient K.
At this point I completely forgot about the actual release
date. I was at work barista-ing when I got a text from a friend of mine (the
foundation of our friendship is probably based in our love for Relient K) saying
that the fans were not happy with Collapsible Lung.
Now that would be an understatement. If you look at most of
the reviews, it’s brutal. But I can sum it up for you guys.
1.
Different sound (aka Relient K sold out to make
more cash.)
2.
The lyrics/theme of the songs were too worldly
3.
Therefore, they obviously have lost their
spirituality.
And I was enraged. Mostly coming from their Christian fans
freaking out over the word ‘sexy’ (Disaster), a whole song about a one night
stand (PTL) and some other ‘questionable’ situations.
First off, I need to get this off my chest. I have been that
Christian. I’ve been judgmental and self-righteous. This album help reveal that
to me. But I don’t want to knock them though. I definitely was more of that
type of Christian for another album, which I’ll explain a bit later.
But all I have to say to you guys is which one of you can
cast the first stone? Or can see the log in your own eye?
And I kept thinking was that so many of you totally
misunderstood the album.
I’ve realized in order to understand Collapsible Lung, we
need to discuss their previous one, Forget and Not Slow Down.
I remember when I first listened to FANSD. It would take a
while for me to get used to it. It would grow on me over time to eventually
become my favorite. Every time I listen to it I get something new. Still. And
it’s been out now for at least four years. There is so much raw emotion and
depth to the lyrics.
I would learn later on the back-story for FANSD was birthed
from dealing with emotional fall out of the failed relationship between Matt Thiessen
and his former fiancé. After hours
and days of searching, all I could find out about what happened is that Matt
had been unfaithful amongst other hinted unresolved issues based on interview
she had when FANSD had first been released.
What I heard was a recording of an interview, and
girl-to-girl, she sounded sad and broken and hurt. My heart broke for her.
After hearing that I was destroyed. My view of Matt Thiessen and ultimately,
Relient K was tarnished. I couldn’t even listen to them. I felt betrayed
because I held them to this pedastal because they are Christian. The way many
fans feel about Collapsible Lung, I actually felt about Forget and Not Slow
Down.
I’m not here to justify or defend anyone's actions. I don’t
know and I shouldn’t know what fully happened between Matt or his ex. What I
can tell you is that event broke the both of them and that breaks my heart. Not
as a fan or as a Christian, but as a fellow human.
I would listen to Relient K again. Like I said, they are one
of my favorite bands, the boycott could last only so long, especially FANSD.
Then Collapsible Lung came out and I loved it. At least one
song is stuck in my head. It’s catchy and I know Relient K always had an
affinity for catchy tunes.
But Collapsible Lung gives Forget and Not Slow Down perspective,
or better yet, an epilogue.
Now for all the haters who found the album shallow, the lyrics
have a lot of depth that are under the guise of a pop album. Each one is a
story, and I’m going to assume that they’re based in a personal experiences.
The attack on their faith and walk with God is uncalled for,
self-righteous, and just flat out mean. I think that’s between them, God, and
maybe a few close friends. But that’s just me.
Though that was the very reason why I enjoyed Collapsible
Lung so much. In the last few years, I’ve done a lot of unexpected
“unchristian” things too. With Relient K being so open about their experiences,
mistakes, failures, and how ashamed they are of the consequences (It’s been an
ongoing theme of theirs for years. A few examples are Trademark, Falling Out, Who
I am Hates Who I’ve Been, I So Hate Consequences, Devastation and Reform). I
didn’t feel so alone. I wasn’t the only prodigal.
Thanks to Stephen’s Review, it help even shed more light.
When you listen to Collapsible Lung straight through, the entire album, each
song, is a confession ending with the title song.
Between the miles of
open road
I lost sight of what might matter the most
I stumbled into the great unknown and found
That time can’t slow down…
I lost sight of what might matter the most
I stumbled into the great unknown and found
That time can’t slow down…
And it’s a slow climb
headed back to the sky
And I’m feelin' backwards when I’m trying the most
And I hope haven’t heard the last words from the holy ghost
Cause I think that I’m supposed to be
Well on my way by now…
And I’m feelin' backwards when I’m trying the most
And I hope haven’t heard the last words from the holy ghost
Cause I think that I’m supposed to be
Well on my way by now…
It closes the book that FANSD started.
I’ve noticed as I live my life, it isn’t so black and white
as I thought it would be. Not in what’s right or wrong, but in the choices I
made and the consequences they would create. What I thought would be easy
choices were not as easy to make. Life is messy and we don’t always do the right
thing, even after trying so hard to do the right thing. We lose sight of what matters most
quite often. You go through horrible things and experiences, some created by
your own words and actions. And when it hits you that you are nowhere near who
you wanted to be. You expected by now to be different, to be further ahead.
Matt’s lyrics are probably literal, but I am going to turn it
into a very cliché metaphor. Life is an open, unknown road. It’s a journey.
There are turns and detours and roadblocks. The journey seems long but it ends
way faster than any of us expect. And it’s different for all of us.
I think that was the point of Collapsible Lung. A reason to
finally do that pop album, but more importantly, it’s a confession. We all fall
short. We all are flawed. Isn’t that the whole point of being a Christian?
Admitting we fail and we need a Saviour?
So I think I’ll end this with another Relient K song.
Because the judge of
you
Is someone I could never be
Is why you should thank the Lord
That it is Him and it's not me
Don't give up, it's not the end
There's hope for every fallen man
To pick themselves up when they think they can't
Because with every passing second comes a second chance
Is someone I could never be
Is why you should thank the Lord
That it is Him and it's not me
Don't give up, it's not the end
There's hope for every fallen man
To pick themselves up when they think they can't
Because with every passing second comes a second chance
-Hope For Every Fallen Man
PS. IF ANY MEMBER OF RELIENT K ACTUALLY READS THIS. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU GUYS SOMETIME. LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN :)
PS. IF ANY MEMBER OF RELIENT K ACTUALLY READS THIS. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU GUYS SOMETIME. LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN :)
Friday, August 10, 2012
Till We Have Faces
“Often
when he was teaching me to write in Greek the Fox would say, ‘Child, to say the
very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than
what you really mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words.’
A
glib saying. When the time comes to you at which you will be forced to at last
utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years, which you
have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you’ll not talk of
the joy of words. I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us
answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble
that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?”
-Orual's discussion of the gods.
Till
We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
It’s been a while since I’ve last written. I could
tell you that I have been busy (which is very true, I recently moved, I have
two new, different jobs and I have been attending a new church somewhat
regularly – though I still have commitment issues.)
But honestly, that’s not it at all. I’ve been
afraid to write. I started to realize the responsibility of this blog and worst
of all, I began to feel doubt.
Why would God use me? I’m a mess. I’m childish. I
make so many mistakes. I’m selfish. And this is all a terrible thing to
believe. Well yes, my failures are true, but to doubt the statement:
Why
would God use me?
That doubt followed by the confusion of “Who am I,
really?” that I was dealing with, would unravel me.
Suddenly I was 21, and all the rules changed. And
everything else changed too. The places I worked. The people I knew. The places
I worshipped. The house I lived in.
But I am no stranger to change. I’ve dealt with
worse. What was it this time?
I have a rather strange talent. I may forget your
name or where I put my phone or what I may have done yesterday, but I can
remember the exact date of certain things. Usually it’s the date of when I
first meet someone. And sometimes, I’ll even remember what you wore.
Now August will always remind me of someone,
someone who I considered to be one of my closest friends. We became friends in
August and then we ‘unbecame’ friends in August, almost on the same exact day,
just five years apart.
Six years ago, next week, I hung out with a family
that I had known most of my life, but it was that day that I met my dearest
friend. It’s funny how you could know someone all your life and yet never be
friends with them and suddenly be friends. How often can you genuinely say to
someone, “You too? I thought I was the only one!”
We would grow closer, but due to distance and time,
we would grow apart.
One year ago, next week, we hung out for the first
time in a really long time. And it felt like how it used to be.
But the great time we were having would soon end… and
turn into an argument that would last two weeks.
One of the last things he would ever say to me was,
“I don’t think I could be friends with a girl like you.”
It doesn’t matter whom I was arguing with or what
we were arguing about or even who was right or wrong. I’m pretty sure neither
of us were right or wrong. But it was a simple phrase that changed my entire
view of who I was. It would echo in everything I would do and every decision I
would make.
What kind of girl am I? Am I a girl who drinks? Am
I a girl who will finish her college degree? Am I a girl who still believes in
the Church? Am I girl who writes? Am I a girl who could trust people? Am I girl
that God could use, that God would want to use?
All these questions, I became a shadow of the girl
I could be. I was so afraid that I simply stopped asking, not doing anything. I
just gave up. I gave up on writing. I gave up on art. I gave up on people. And
in giving up in all those things, I gave up on God.
See, I’ve been quite lost these last few months and
that is why I haven’t really been writing.
But God, He never left me. I found myself in Him
again in the last few weeks. And in the last few weeks, the Devil has been
throwing so many distractions and doubts my way to keep me lost.
I still don’t know what kind of girl I am. I know I’m a girl who has made
mistakes. I know I am a girl who is selfish. I know I’m a girl who has hurt
people and has been hurt by people. I know I’m a girl who is terribly afraid of
not being enough.
But God found me, and He loves me so much that He
gave up His son to die for me.
And really, isn’t that all that truly matters in
the end? That is when we have found our face, our true face, His.
Labels:
C.S. Lewis,
Christianity,
church,
faith,
life,
quote,
ramblings
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Scrapes and Scars... And stories
“In my personal struggle to make a living, I’ve found that true success has very little to do with income or comfort. In fact, it seems to me that inconvenience, hardship and discomfort are my best teachers. It’s as though these horrible, wonderful moments where I realize my own limitations are almost exclusively the only ones that matter. So when I’m brave enough, I chase these awkward moments down. I write songs about them. I put my scattered thoughts online. Heck, I even seek therapy from time to time. Love, dreams, confessions, God, women — these are dreadful, awe-inspiring mysteries to me. They put a funny taste in my mouth. They give me scrapes and scars. And stories.”
-Jon Foreman-
Monday, May 7, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
we are puddles.
... imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in - an interesting hole I find myself in - fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise.
-Douglas Adams-
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Definitions Part 3: Hipster Christianity (Confessions from a Hipster AND a Christian)
Definitions Part 1: Jesus vs. Religion
Definitions Part 2: What is Christianity? What makes someone or something Christian?
Have you heard this phrase being thrown out? HIPSTER CHRISTIANITY. I hear it ALL THE TIME. Every time I hear it, the meaning changes, most of the time it’s used as a negative and then sometimes, it’s not. It’s a very misunderstood and misused term. AND that annoys me.
Definitions Part 2: What is Christianity? What makes someone or something Christian?
Have you heard this phrase being thrown out? HIPSTER CHRISTIANITY. I hear it ALL THE TIME. Every time I hear it, the meaning changes, most of the time it’s used as a negative and then sometimes, it’s not. It’s a very misunderstood and misused term. AND that annoys me.
Let’s start with defining what a hipster even is.
Trust me, I would know. I am a hipster.
A hipster could be identified by wearing v necks,
skinny jeans, plaid shirts, an assortment of fedoras, beanies and caps,
TOMS/Ked’s, behead hair, tattoos, ray-bans, your grandfather’s sweater and
probably shops at thrift stores, American Apparel and/or Urban Outfitters.
Everything hipsters like is obscure and indie. The hipster’s
choice of music is music you’ve never heard of before (It’s usually sounds like a mix
of shoegaze, dubstep, acoustic, unconventional instruments and electronica. Band
names are inspired by their favorite authors like Charles Bukowski, Jack
Kerouac, Chuck Pahlanuik or Kurt Vonnegut). Hipsters will like things for
ironic or nostalgic purposes (Labrynth, bow ties, fedoras, ect.). And every hipster
is a barista, musician, a freelance designer/illustrator, blogger, and
film/literary/art critic. Their coffee and teas are always organic and fair
trade. They also love to use the font Helvetica Neue for everything.
(And I sadly fit all of these.)
This was my FB default. And sadly, this isn’t me trying at all. |
Hipster is an art/fashion trend as well as a life
style and culture.
Now normally when I hear the term “Hipster
Christianity”, its usually reflecting the current trend in American churches,
kind of like the next step of ‘Seeker-Friendly’ and ‘Simple Church’ movement
that happened in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. It also reflects the attitude
of a ‘younger’ Christians (I use ‘younger’ loosely because it doesn’t reflect
just physical age but rather the mentality.) who had grown up in church and are
challenging some of the Church’s legalism and conservative ideas.
So I’m want to explain how ‘Hipster Christianity’
is a misunderstood term that can be painted as both a positive and a negative.
THE
POSITIVE
It used to describe a movement towards house
churches and small groups where a desire of restoration and reformation from
the current ways of ‘corporate’ church. There is a certain aesthetic that is
very artsy and organic. It is inspired
by artists and musicians looking back at our roots in the Acts Churches and our
current post-modernism to seek a more living faith after being burnt out.
They hold art shows to raise awareness for
community and mission out reaches. The worship is a combination of original
songs, deconstructed Hymns, maybe some current worship songs and even some old
fashion liturgy.
The ‘Hipster’ part of the term describes the atmosphere of the church rather than
reflecting the attitude - which I
will talk about in a bit.
(My best example of this is Bloom in Denver, CO.
You might have heard of the band Gungor, this is their home church. You should
check out their teaching pastor, Andrew Arndt's blog)
THE NEGATIVE
But here are two
reasons why being a called a hipster is a negative: hipsters are often viewed
as posers and fakes and the hipster
attitude.
The hipster will give off the appearance of
aloofness and apathy. The hipster is cooler than you. The hipster already did
the popular trend before it was ‘mainstream’. When the hipster talks, the tone
is condescending.
And it’s really obnoxious.
So let’s address the term Hipster Christianity
again. To sum it up, instead of ‘Holier-Than-Thou’, it is now ‘Cooler-than-Thou.’
There is this obsession with ‘the show’ and
cultural relevance, to where it becomes the utmost priority. What I’ve also noticed
is the Hipster Christian/Cooler-Than-thou lifestyle is that they are okay, if
not proud, of drinking. They love to open their ‘worship experience’ (It can’t
be called a service anymore, it’s too ‘churchy’). They intentionally slip in
swearing sometimes.
They like to say, “If the music is too loud you’re
too old.”
“This isn’t your Grandmother’s Church.”
“Don’t worry about whatever sinful thing you are
doing. I won’t judge you like a ‘conservative christian’ would.”
It
started of with good intentions, trying to reach out and bring people back to
church who didn’t like church. But I think we swung the pendulum too far. We’ve become obsessed with making Jesus ‘hip’ and ‘cool’. It
is a purposeful forgetting of the name we bear as Christians. This isn’t Hipster Christianity, it is Shallow Christianity.
And that
is when I get concerned.
It’s not the skinny jeans, or the music choice or
volume that I’m worried about. All of that is just appearance and preference. It’s when it affects the heart and the
leadership of the church develops that arrogant hipster attitude. When that
happens, we lose sight of Christ and everything He did for us to even be
Christians in the first place. Christianity and church becomes a glorified
competition, something for man to better at than his fellow men.
Does that last sentence sound familiar? It goes
right back to my first post about Jesus vs. Religion. Christianity isn’t about
us, it’s about Him. We put God first instead of getting fixated appearances and
competing- both in our own and other Churches.
When we try to change Jesus and Christianity into
something cool, it’s like trying to reinvent the wheel using a triangle. It
might slide by for minute, but it will get stuck eventually. And what are we
trying to improve anyways? Let us look at Jesus for who He is.
I’m going to start if with that He was the best
artist and designer ever. Have you looked outside?
Jesus was a radical and loving teacher who spoke the
truth with authority.
He was the most humble man, cleaning the very feet
of His disciples.
He cared for the widows, the lepers, the whores,
the thieves, and the lowest of the low.
He took on the worst death even to just save one of
us.
And, not only did He rise from the dead, He
conquered it.
And how is any of that not cool?
By
trying to make Jesus cool, it’s basically saying that we are embarrassed of
Him. And that is wrong.
“Then Jesus told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I'm leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn't, you realize, pie in the sky... Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:24-27 MSG
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Genuine
I know this is out of my series and a bit
different, but this is just a thought of mine lately.
Anyone who knows me will realize I have an
obsession for the truth of things. Authenticity. Genuineness. After you’ve
finally warmed me up after hanging out for like about 3 or so months (I’m a bit
of an introvert), I will instantly tell you how I honestly think about
something and would like to know your honest opinion, nothing more and nothing
less.
See for me, with knowing the truth, one has nothing
to hide, there are no hidden agendas, no selfish motives, it is but simple
truth. And from simple truth is born integrity, honor and character. I can
trust in truth because it comes with no surprises. Truth is transparent and
genuine. Truth can be painful, but it will always set you free.
I am always seeking the truth in things. Constantly
searching. I’ve always been, and at this point, always will. Once I find the
truth, I have a need to share it because everyone deserves the truth. I am a
rebel and this is my cause.
I came to realize this when I was about ten or
eleven. Before I was a hipster and loved all things acoustic and obscure, I was
a huge fan of bubblegum pop like every other 10-13 yr old girl.
Now let’s go back about ten years (circa 2001) and
look at the music then. Both secular music and Contemporary Christian Music had
a lovely group of teen bubblegum pop to select from. My parents were very
careful about what lyrics I was singing about (and for which I am very grateful
for. Really.), so I listen to mostly to CCM such as…
Plus One (saw them a lot in concert. My favorite was Nate.)
Jaci Velasquez
ZoeGirl
Jump5
Joy Williams (please check out The Civil Wars.)
MaryMary (Shackles anyone???)
Raze
Rachel Lampa
Stacie Orrico
True Vibe
These were my Jams till I was about 12 and I
discovered Relient K and Switchfoot. And as much as I would love to ramble about how I still
know all the words by heart to Plus One’s Written On My Heart (don’t deny it,
I’m sure most of you do too), but I did have a point to this post.
Stacie Orrico. Most of you probably remember having
a hit back in 2003, ‘(There’s Gotta Be) More To Life’ which was off of her
sophomore album and that was pretty much all you knew.
oh. 2000. lipliner and choker necklaces. |
Before that, she had two songs that stuck with me
(and still do) off of her first album, ‘Don’t Look at Me’ and ‘Genuine’.
What He has is something genuine
Who He is, is someone real
What He gives is something truthful
Its what He has, its Who he is
Its what He gives
And I need Him too.”
Who He is, is someone real
What He gives is something truthful
Its what He has, its Who he is
Its what He gives
And I need Him too.”
-Genuine
Stacie Orrico
It was this song that made me realize that my
hunger for pure and simple truth was really a hunger for God alone.
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”
John 14:6
The only way.
The only truth.
The only life.
We can only cast our eyes toward Jesus, the prize.
He is lamp to our feet and the light to our path. When we forget that simple
truth, we lose our truth and we get lost. We start wandering into places,
following other people down roads we shouldn’t go.
I feel like a lot of us have done exactly that. We
get so caught up in the production of Sunday mornings, to make sure we are
‘cool christians’ who are aware of the world, making sure we brand everything
in sight, and that we ‘reach’ thousands of people so that we hit this years
quota.
With the best of intentions, we’ve somehow lost our
way, our truth. Sometimes I wonder what the difference is between ‘the church’
and a non-profit charity.
But I’ll leave you with this.
“Don't
look at me if you're looking for perfection
Don't look at me I will only let you down
I'll do my best to point you in the right direction
But don’t look at me
No, no, no
Don't look at me, look at Him…
Don't look at me I will only let you down
I'll do my best to point you in the right direction
But don’t look at me
No, no, no
Don't look at me, look at Him…
He's
the One who lived a perfect life
He's the One who always gets it right
He's the One and only guiding light, Ohh, yeah
He is everything you want to be
He's the answer to your every need
If you follow Him then you will see He's like no other.”
He's the One who always gets it right
He's the One and only guiding light, Ohh, yeah
He is everything you want to be
He's the answer to your every need
If you follow Him then you will see He's like no other.”
-Don't Look At Me
Stacie Orrico
I’m 21. I don’t have all the answers.
I’m just a girl who hungrily seeks the Truth.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Definitions Part 2: What is Christianity? What makes something or someone Christian?
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
My last post was a discussion
about Jesus and Religion. I want to continue that with further discussion as to
what is Christianity. And to quote C.S. Lewis again, “For God humbled himself to become man, so religion humbled itself to
become Christianity.” Now this quote really caught my attention. The idea
that religion humbled itself to become Christianity just resonated within me.
One can write many books on this topic, so I will try
my best to do it in but a few short paragraphs and still come up with a
justifying answer.
So what makes
someone or something Christian?
Is it voting
Republican?
Is it being prolife?
Is it going to
church every Sunday?
Is it reciting a
prayer?
Is it a genre of
music?
Is it a religion?
Is it a worldview?
Is it a list of
rules?
When we think of ‘Christian’
we think of it in two ways, as a religion and as a type of label. And I’ve
notice, we love trying to clarify and reform that label.
“I’m not a
Christian, I’m a Christ Follower.”
(Which is just saying the same exact
thing.)
Sometimes we get so
fixated on the label, that the label itself will lose all of its meaning. The
label becomes dead. My best example of when a label loses its meaning and
purpose is with Religion. Then labels become weapons to throw at and divide
people.
We are not labels, we
are more than just mere words. We are souls.
When I was in high
school, my nickname was Jesus. The nickname was a weird combination of people
being aware of what I believed in and my long hair. At first, I couldn’t tell
if people were making fun of me, but then I realized it was like a term of
endearment and an acknowledged statement of who I was. And having Jesus as my
nickname was a pretty good reminder of who and what I represented.
When we describe
Christians, oftentimes we are called the Salt of the Earth, the Light of the World,
a City on a Hill. We just hear the words but not the meaning anymore or it was
never really explained as to what that means.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that the may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matt 5:13-16 ESV
When salt loses its
saltiness, it is useless.
When a label loses
its purpose, it is useless. Even if that label is Christian.
We are supposed to
be a light in this world, to stand up like a light upon a light stand, a city
on a hill.
So what is my answer as to what makes
someone or something Christian?
It’s a choice. It’s a daily choice to…
To make God bigger in my life. I must decrease so He may increase (John 3:30)To love God with all my heart, mind and soul, and to love my neighbor (Matt 22:37-40).To love my enemies (Matthew 5:43-47)To die to my selfish ambitions and give all my life away. To be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2)To uphold the law (Romans 3:31)
When this change happens
in your heart and in your mind, (Ephesians 4:22) and it will directly change
how you live.
“But the aim of our instruction is love the comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith…Now we know that the law is good, if one uses is legitimately.”
1 Timothy 1:5, 8
ESV
If we are to ‘reclaim’
religion, we have to acknowledge the wrongs that have been selfishly committed
for the sake of ‘christian religion’. The only we can do that is to humble ourselves,
confess our wrongs, be legitimately sorry about it, and do something to change.
But, if I had to
pick a ‘label’, I want to go back to the beginning. I think this is the one
that best sums up the miracle, the love He has for us and the responsibility we
have:
Image Bearer
“So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them.”
Genesis 1:27a ESV
I hear it as a positive thing, as an insult but never in the same way. What do you think it means?
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