When Seth and I were a little younger, we used our words to tear down and criticize the things that offended us about Christian culture. It’s hard to wear the name “Christian” with such a diversity of representation. The connotations connected to the terms are based on the personal encounters a person has had to someone who wore the label. That’s just how we are.
A person remembers when they have been hurt.
In another example, most of the Nick’s I’ve known in my life have been bad characters. I would never name my son Nick. Even though I know there are nice Nick’s out there too, I’ll never be able to naturally ooze good feelings connected to the name unless I am really impressed by a Nick at some point.
My husband, Seth, is a writer and a pastor. His opinions on Christian fiction have always been poor. Yet recently, he has set forth to redeem the culture. He has written a Christian fiction novel of quality and intelligence, leaving the cheese behind. In the same way, I am finding myself setting forth to redeem the terms, “christian yoga,” a name I wanted to shy away from originally. This is an attitude I am more proud of in myself, a passion to cure the aversions developed from weak Christian culture rather than an attitude of criticism.
I’m sorry to admit that I always was critical of others, and thought I was better than others. Not only have I learned as I got older, but my daughter has taught me too. She was more accepting of others than I was. Even though this can be dangerous, I realize God wants us to love others, and to look at them with His eyes. The Bible says to “consider others as better than ourselves.” I think that is the hardest thing to do. But God will help; He keeps working on us all of our lives.
Thank you for sharing and being open about this topic. It is hard to love others purely and truly, especially when others are living differently and hard to understand. But though difficult, never dangerous. I understand what you are meaning but I can also see how learning to love can be frightening for some when it is for people we do not understand. Or especially when we ourselves have been wronged by someone who wears the label of which an aversion has been developed. But perfect love like Christ has for us is safe. It casts out fear.
When I said ” this could b e dangerous” I was referring to a person who has not yet grown in the Lord and been strengthened in His Word. They might be led astray by accepting someone with different ideas. But, yes, of course, Christians should show God’s love without fear.