"Mom, I think they [our neighbors] already know about Jesus. Because their Daddy told them not to say 'booty' too!"
This is the comment that my 6-year-old son, Caleb, made to Jean on Sunday evening, when trying to determine whether the two little neighbor girls whose family we had invited to church were Christians. After I stopped laughing at his innocent attempt to try to identify the benchmarks of Christianity (I don't actually recall the designation of "booty" in the Apostle's Creed), his observation caused me to do some more serious reflection on this whole idea of Christian behavior.
What are the benchmarks that designate Christians? What should they be? Does it matter if there is variance in understanding the answers to such questions? These are some of the questions that I began to think about.
A few months ago, I had one of our readers contact me and ask me to weigh in on this issue. For anyone who has spent any time in church (or for anyone who has not, but has watch a lot of Hollywood caricatures of Christians), it seems the benchmarks are the age-old adage, "I don't drink, and I don't chew, and I don't go with girls that do!" Such a laundry list of unacceptable behaviors served as the primary criteria which designated the true Christians from those other "worldly" people. The "don'ts" of morality became the standards of righteousness and holy living--drinking, smoking, dancing, swearing, etc. Thus, Christians achieved the reputation for judgmental bigotry, whether we deserve it or not.
But, I wonder, where would someone like a C.S. Lewis fit in our understanding of what good Christians are supposed, and not supposed to do. After all, he has done as much to advance the Christian faith from the twentieth century on as any of us, and yet, we don't often here references to his well-known penchant for pipes, cigerettes, and a frothy brew at the Eagle and Child pub. And rarely do we see pictures (such as this one here) which pull back the veil on such behaviors. He certainly doesn't fit the preconceived mold of true Christianity, as many Christians have come to define it.
So, what are we to do? The C.S. Lewis's of the Christian faith can leave one in quite a conundrum. But then again, perhaps it helps us understand that perhaps there's more to true Christian living than simply external behavior. God Himself said that it is man which looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Likewise, Jesus had his harshest words not for the sinners of his day, but rather, for the religious leaders who were experts at putting on the appearances of religious piety. He said,
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men'" (Matthew 15:7-9)
Does our outward behavior matter? Certainly it does. There are multiple passages in Scripture which lay out God's desire for Christians where behavior is concerned (e.g. The Ten Commandments - Exodus 20, Holy Living - Colossians 3, etc.) And in many cases, Scripture is very specific. For example, in Ephesians 5:4, Paul talks specifically about the importance of eliminating "obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking" from our interactions with others. Not with the intent of somehow creating a bunch of prudish people who wouldn't know fun if it kicked them in the head. On the contrary, the goal in how we live as Christians is to pursue holy living.
For many years, holy living was taken to be the strict "do's and don'ts" from the Bible in a kind of legalistic fashion. But in actually, to be holy is to be "set apart", that is, to live a life that is different and distinct from those around us who are not followers of Christ. This is the idea of being light in a dark world, as Jesus talked about in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13-16). By doing so, we are essentially sending the message that there is indeed something different (and presumably positive) about us--that Christ in our lives does actually bring about a real transformation of beliefs and behaviors. The old is gone and the new has come, as Paul says.
As I've said to various audiences, often the only "Jesus" people will see is you. Thus, it is imperative that those who profess to be followers of Christ, actually get about the business of following Him, to the best of their ability. And in fact, it is often because non-believers have not seen a tangible, positive change in Christians that they are not inclined to consider Him seriously. And rightfully so. After all, is that caricature (right or wrong) of Christians that we see so often in the media the kind of community where you'd want to devote your time, talent and treasure? Neither would I!
Lest we focus too heavily on such external behaviors of our language, alcohol, etc., Paul's admonition to the Colossians is "over all of these virtues put on love". Love is to be the overarching emphasis in our lives, which means that we extend grace were needed, but also balance that grace with Truth. Being able to point people to the Truth, may be difficult at times given the potential for offense that embodies the very nature of Truth, but it can be the most loving thing we can do for someone who is searching for meaning and hope in life.
Within God's boundaries for us, there is leeway for differing interpretations of just exactly how we are to live as Christians. Such questions are the "negotiables". And they are grounded in the "non-negotiables". The important thing is that we not confuse the two.
(And just for the record, refraining from saying "booty" is not one of the non-negotiables of the Christian faith. We gently tried to educate Caleb accordingly. :)