Skip to main content

From Faux-Hawks to Faith


People might look at me and laugh.
-That's the point.
But I don't want them to laugh.
-But they won't be laughing at you. They'll be laughing with you.
No. 

And that's where the conversation with my 6-year old ended that day. A stubborn refusal to stand out and an unwillingness to be laughed at. Or with, as I was trying to convince her. 

This was Crazy Hair Day at their elementary school, meaning the choice had no long-lasting implications. I did encourage her to not worry about what other people think. In this way, it is interesting to note how different three children can be, even when they share the same mom and dad. 

On a day when crazy hair was the goal, our oldest daughter still strove to stand out and be noticed. Our son, always a bit quieter in crowds, went halfway. A couple of faux-hawks adorned his melon, something crazy but replicated by several boys. But the 6-year old would not be coerced into being a stand-out among crazies. 

That's fine. But it did get me thinking about how we stand out in other ways, most notably for our faith.

Some are like my daughter, attempting antics to be noticed above the rest of the noise in our world. It's possible to see this done in positive ways. Just imagine any number of colorful ministries, bloggers or pastors. Unfortunately, this is also done in harmful ways. The misguided actions of Westboro Baptist come to mind. 

Some are more like my son, seeing a style they want to emulate, but wanting to do so in the context of relationships. I believe this works, as Jesus used this process when He sent disciples out in pairs to do ministry. 

The biggest danger that any of us face is a refusal to stand out at all. Read the Apostle John's letters and you hear the idea repeated over and again that Jesus' followers would be known by their obedience to His commands and by their love for one another. You get the impression that this behavior would have stood out in contrast to the non-believers. 

It doesn't take more than a glance at the media in our modern society to see the same thing at work today. If we are truly following Christ, it will stand out as being different. So if you are willing to be noticed, try two things. Love one another (1 John 3:11). Obey the commands of Jesus (1 John 3:24). 

Oh, and it might be a good idea to read all the rest of the verses in 1 John 3 as well. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...
5 comments
Read more

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...
Post a Comment
Read more

But I Wanted It

As I've said before , I'm looking for a new place to do youth ministry. Job searching in itself can be a full time task. Unfortunately, no one is paying me to look for a job. And when you haven't had to find a job in 15 years, the whole experience can feel brand new. And nerve-wracking. And quiet. So very, very quiet. I may spend a few hours here and there sending out my resumes and writing cover letters. But the churches I'm sending my information to have their own timeline. And sometimes that timeline does not involve acknowledging my presence. Which is fine, especially if one of the churches I've applied to is reading this right now. I understand those looking for youth pastors will have their own agenda and their own timeline. But it leaves me sitting here with a deafening quiet around me. I am choosing to walk by faith through these days, picturing God working behind the scenes (always behind the scenes) and holding His voice very still, until He is re...
2 comments
Read more