Recently, I did some reading and contemplation on the terms radical and ordinary in reference to my practice of Christianity. Which one of these terms applies to me in the way I live my Christian life? What about you? Would it be radical or ordinary? Another way to consider it is, “What would my church family say about the way I live and my relationship with Jesus?” Would they say, “He is kind of radical” or “He is just an ordinary type of guy.” What I suspect is that most of us, including myself, would fall into the ordinary classification. Here’s my dilemma: When I read what the Bible says about the world and I look intently at our society and what is happening in it, I cannot help but wonder: will an ordinary practice of Christianity be sufficient?
Consider these words of Jesus: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23-25). Self-denial and cross bearing: that is to be a daily practice of Christianity. And the cross is a symbol of extreme torture and death. There is nothing ordinary about that. I wonder, though, if the cross has lost its meaning. We have made it into a beautiful piece of jewelry. We decorate the walls of our homes with crosses of varying shapes and sizes. How many times have I seen a cross on a wall, or admired a cross as a beautiful piece of jewelry, and gone on about my activities without a thought of the suffering and death it represents?
We all stand at the foot of the cross as equals, human beings who need the love, grace and mercy of our Almighty God. As we stand there, which describes us, radical or ordinary? Be looking for next week’s article as we explore these thoughts a little more. Your comments are welcome: P.O Box 1399, Kosciusko, MS.
