Against?

Monday, October 10, 2011
Against? It’s a strong thing to say you are “against” someone. There’s no gray area with that word – it’s obvious what you mean. You can understand, then, why it was a shock of sorts on Saturday when we saw a man wearing a shirt that proclaimed “Youth Against Christ.” Against is a strong word, especially when it precedes the Name above all names.
He and his friends were sitting about 3 rows in front of us at a marching band contest here in Cabot. I was sitting with several of our youth group students when one of them pointed it out to me. A few quiet gasps were felt by the other students with us when they noticed it, too. The reactions to the shirt were mixed between quiet anger and pity. It became a teaching moment.
I reminded the students sitting around me that he just obviously didn’t know the Jesus we knew. He was most likely operating on a view of Christ that had been fed to him by someone else, and then was possibly reinforced by zealous folks who were angered by his t-shirt’s message. Every time he encountered an “angry Christian” when we wore that shirt, it probably further drove home his belief that what we believe was simply a fairy tale that we were insecure about defending.
I shared with them that to be “against Christ” was a sure sign that one didn’t know Who Christ really was. After all, if you only viewed Christ as a religious leader among many, it would be easy to simply say you were “against” Him. After all, why should He be singled out and held in a higher regard than other religious leaders?
We know better, and we need to thank God that we do. We know that Christ isn’t simply another religious leader among many. We know that Christ isn’t simply a religious leader at all – He’s so much more. We know that no one else ever died for us and rose again 3 days later to bring us victory too. We know the difference He has made in our lives. And we know He desires to do the same in each heart alive today.
The simple question is: does our life say the same thing that man’s shirt said? We may not be brazen enough to wear a shirt that proclaims ourselves “against Christ,” but what is the message of the life we live? Do the words I say and the actions I live out proclaim “For Christ” or “Against Christ” to a lost and dying world that are watching for the answer?
I don’t know the man’s name, and to be quite honest I’m ashamed of that fact. If everyone avoids the Gospel conversation with him as I did he will continue in his lostness. That “teaching moment” could have turned into a “salvation moment” for this man, or at least an “obedience moment” for this believer. It didn’t, and I’m ashamed. I’m praying for him, and since God has etched his face into my heart, if I ever have the opportunity again I pray I’ll take the chance to try to show him the Christ I know is real. And I pray my life is screaming to the world around me “I’m with Christ.”



That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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