A Truly Inconvenient Truth

No, this has nothing to do with Al Gore or global warming. I'll save that for later.



I've never been very good at beginning at the beginning, so I apologize in advance if I start too deep. I often critique presentations of Christian lessons as being far too simplistic and losing sight of important nuances and details. Then I am reminded by my pastoral friends that not everyone is ready for that kind of depth. A great deal of people out there have never heard the basics, so I shouldn't expect people to learn quantum physics when they've never seen Newton's laws. I'm not trying to claim intellectual superiority, only greater time spent dedicated to delving into the depths of Christian thought.


While this is far from the beginning, I would like to start by explaining the kind of Christianity I study and talk about. While we in the modern world try to water it down to fit the kind of lifestyle we can live with, it is truly a much deeper and more intense state. Fundamentally, Christianity is a completely revolutionary point of reference, and as such a very powerful force when practiced the way it was from the start. What is truly inconvenient is the kind of commitment it takes. For those of you reading this who consider yourself Christians, read the following verses and consider them for a moment. Do not rationalize or explain them away, just take them at face value for a moment and see how you measure up.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39


"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." Matthew 24:9


"You know the commandments: ' Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' 'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said. When Jesus heard this he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.'" Luke 18:20-22

How many of you would leave your families and livelihoods to dedicate yourself to the furthering of the Kingdom? How many of you are persecuted and despised by the powerful and worldly, to the point of torture? How many of you take up your cross each day, truly bearing the burdens placed upon you? How many of you are truly willing to give up everything you own to embrace the physical poverty of Christ and therefore share in spiritual riches? I'm not saying I'm any better-I still own a good deal of things, I have never been in jail, I have never suffered on the streets or abandoned my family. I simply want us all to make sure we understand the gravity of what we're talking about when we talk about Christianity. This is more than a set of ethics or a statement of faith. Christianity is a lifestyle and worldview; an ultimate dedication to the ultimate beginning and end of all that is.

We as Christians, blindly or not, must consider this when we describe ourselves as such. If you are not willing to sacrifice all, make sure you really believe what you're saying.