"Those Kinds of Christians"

I am a Presbyterian minister. I went to school for it. I have a Masters of Divinity. I am on the downhill slide of a Doctorate in Ministry. So Christianity, in the professional sense, is kind of my thing. I think many of my colleagues would affirm that it is a bizzarre job in a lot of ways. The job description is pretty nebulous dependong on the day: Clean the Fellowship Hall, balance the budget, Go and make disciples of all nations, etc. But, I think most of my colleagues would also agree that it is a fulfilling job, one where we are afforded the opportunity to help a great many people while sharing the faith that has made a difference in our lives. I am proud to be a minister...most of the time.

You see, there is also that awkward moment when I am meeting someone for the first time, or perhaps for the 3rd or 4th time, engaging in casual conversation, when the dreaded question arises: "So, what do you do for a living?" This is often the last time that I will be engaged with that person in casual conversation, because as soon as I say, "I am a minister", every preconceived notion that they have about ministers, the church, Christianity, ritual human sacrifice, etc., is now magically represented by....me.

So, there is always this great temptation to say, "I am a minister", and then immediately follow that up with, "But, you know, I'm not one of those kinds of Christians." But, then it seems as though I doth protest too much. My wife and I recognize this moment all the time in conversations with people, and laugh about it when they're not around. But, when you think about it, what a sad thing! I find it utterly depressing that our culture is filled with so many...interesting... "Christians", that I feel the need to distinguish myself as "Christian, but you know, not crazy Christian." And, these people are controlling the branding of Christianity in America.

My Facebook/Twitter news feed each day is enough to prove that theory. Just 2 of Today's headlines:

1. "Atheist Mom Gets Threats After School Cancels 'Bible Man' Visits"- This is a charming story of a public school in America having a "Bible Man" come to an elementary school during academic hours to evangelize. Now, non-Christian children are permitted to raise their hands, announce to the class that they are different, and then leave the classroom in a cloud of shame and guilt. Luckily, there isn't an issue with bullying in American schools, or that might cause an issue! When the mother of one such child complained, Christians in her town threatened to burn her house to the ground. Ahhhh.....Christian love at its finest!

2. "Tennessee House Approves Bill To Make Bible Official State Book"- Huh? Really? I have an idea: How about instead of spending time and money voting on something that will so obviously be struck down by that pesky little Constitution thing, why not pass bills aimed toward living out your self-professed faith? You know, feed people...clothe people...visit the imprisoned...care for the sick. Open that "state book" of yours and start reading. As leaders of a state with 18.4 percent of people living in poverty, Matthew 25: 31-46 would be a great place to start.

Here's why this is so frustrating: Every single day in America, there are humble, hard-working, faithful Christians who give of themselves trying to be more like Jesus. I could give countless examples from my own context of people who truly embody what it means to be a Christian. But, those aren't the Christians who makes the news, because those aren't the Christians making the most noise. It's the Christians talking about killing Muslims, or hating gays/lesbians, or turning America into a theocracy that make the headlines...

So, when someone asks, "What do you do for a living" and I respond, "I am a minister", I always wonder what the latest headline was that he/she read about Christians? And, although I bite my tongue and resist, I always want to add a disclaimer: "But, Im not one of those kinds of Christians."

Since the days of the moral majority movement in America, mainline Christians have lost control of the narrative of what it means to be Christian, really Christian. Lots of us are trying to get that narrative back, but we would be open to suggestion...and help.