Conservative Christian... I keep using that
phrase, but I do not think it means what I think it means. Or maybe I don't
think it means what you think it means.
con·serv·a·tive
kənˈsərvətiv/
adjective
holding to traditional
attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in
relation to politics or religion
.
noun
a person who is averse
to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation
to politics.
Chris·tian
ˈkrisCHən/
adjective
of, relating to, or
professing Christianity or its teachings.
"the Christian
Church"
noun
a person who has
received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings.
We frequently put those two
words together, so I Googled “Conservative Christian”... and Ronald Reagan's
picture popped up. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe a picture of Jesus,
maybe a picture of me? Nope, I got a picture of the 40th president of the
United States. That's what threw me off, I didn't expect a picture of a
person.
A friend pointed out to me
the phrase Conservative Christian is oxymoronic.
ox·y·mo·ron
noun
1.
a figure of speech in
which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
An oxymoron may
produce a dramatic effect but does not make sense.
Examples:
o Open secret
o Tragic comedy
o Seriously funny
o Awfully pretty
o Foolish wisdom
o Original copies
o Liquid gas
Shall we add * Conservative Christian?
There was nothing conservative about Jesus, neither was he
liberal. He did not espouse traditional religious or political views and he
held in contempt those who did – calling them white washed tombs full of dead
bones. He brought change. He didn't abolish the Old
Testament Law, He fulfilled it. He brought a religion of love, mercy, and
grace. And those who follow him do well to emulate him. Jesus lavished his love
on us with complete abandon, showed unlimited mercy, offered inconceivable
grace. He was radical! To be like Jesus we’ll have to be radical.
rad·i·cal
ˈradikəl/
noun
a person who advocates
thorough or complete political or social (Shall we add religious?) reform
Jesus
That's truly Inconceivable!
Conceivable or not, we ought not to exploit our position as his
followers by being politically, socially, religiously conservative or liberal.
Let's go for radical, offering radical love, radical mercy, and radical grace
one to another. Jesus did it, why can't we? Oh right, He was God and we're not.
So, we'll just have to try harder.
It's not like he didn't show us the way. Perhaps those are the
verses in the Bible we're to be concentrating on. Ways to be like Jesus and
what God wants of us...here's one for starters, Micah 6:8. ..
(God has shown you...what is good)
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
It's not complicated,
it is conceivable -- obey the two greatest commands: Love God and Love your
neighbor... and you're off and running.
On a side note. My
son, Aaron, has a sermon series called "The Deeper Life". It's inspirational
and helpful and full of love, mercy and grace.
In church this morning we lit the 4th Advent candle and sang:
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