That's So [Christian] Cliche

I think that if Jesus walked the earth today, He wouldn't attend a Christian school. I don't think He would wear a t-shirt that somehow adapted a secular look with a spiritual reference. I don't think He would dress differently than your Average Joe. I don't think He would attend "church" "every time the doors were opened". I don't think He would wax Ye Olde English when He prayed to His Father (i.e. "Dear gracious most holy and righteous Heavenly Father above, we beseech thee upon thy tender mercies to forbear us to...." you get the idea). I don't think He would have a "Jesus fish" on the back of His car (even that one that's eating Darwin's fish with the legs). I don't think He would have petitioned for a "Christian" version of the birthday song. (What? You don't believe me that this exists? Check it out for yourself.)

I don't even think He would hang out with "Christians".


And I certainly don't think He wouldn't create a language that makes no sense outside the Christian Bubble.

It doesn't help people, it freaks people out.

It doesn't "set us apart", it makes us sound like we're in a cult.

Now, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the fore mentioned, but let me explain.

If you were to walk up to a non-believer and say, "We're having a Gospel Revival Jubilee at the Lord's House this Saturday. It's going to be a good, old-fashioned prayer meetin' and Brother John Smith is going to be leading the congregation in hymns of rejoicing and it would bless my soul if you would join us. We are all just waiting for that glorious day when Jesus steps down from the clouds and the voice of the Archangel sounds to carry home His dear children." They are going to promptly reply, "I'm busy that night." To which you will reply, "But I haven't told you the date." To which they will reply, "Yeah. I know. But I'm busy that night."

Words and phrases that Christian culture has come up with and/or overuses are doing a great job of one thing: scaring people away.

If I were a non-believer and someone told me I needed to "bow my head, close my eyes, and ask Jesus into my heart", I'd probably wait until they bowed their head and closed their eyes and then promptly make my getaway.

Jesus never said to "ask Him into your heart" [but that's a whole other blog post].

So, next time you go to say something that sounds like its' going to be super-spiritual, maybe something your Sunday School teacher taught you when you were seven, double check that you're not breaking out your Christianese on everyone.

I don't speak English with a Ticuna Indian and expect them to nod in agreement.

So before you go all holy lingo on somebody with your "washed in the blood" and "living a sanctified life", take a minute to evaluate if you are going to even make sense to the person you're talking to.

It's hard to track with someone who doesn't speak your language.

 

 

Let's not get so "in it not of it" that we separate ourselves from the very ones we're supposed to be reaching. After all, wasn't it Jesus who was chilling with the tax-collectors and Samaritans?