Dirty Words

I remember the first time I learned a dirty word. I was standing in the kitchen of the house where I spent the first seven years of my life. My parents had allowed me to have a spend-the-night guest and we were doing what most little boys would do at that age: splitting time exploring the outdoors and running back inside scouting for snacks. At some point in that back-and-forth, I heard my friend utter a word that had never before graced my innocent ears. I went to ask my dad what that word meant and I was instructed never to say it again. Perhaps you had a similar experience yourself, with a friend, or a child...

While surfing the World Wide Web yesterday, I stumbled upon a story that took me back to that day in the late 70s. I saw where the Christian Children's Fund has decided to drop the word, Christian, from its name for (get this) MARKETING REASONS! The powers-that-be over there have decided that it's better to sacrifice their identity for the potential to raise more money. We must remember that when we sacrifice our core, we are sacrificing everything!

The term Christian was first used at a place called, Antioch, in the years shortly following Christ's death and resurrection (see Acts 11.26). Throughout history, it has carried a number of different connotations, and strangely enough, many negative. From persecution in the early days, to the crusades, to today's wars on political correctness, and every day in between when people who follow Jesus behave in such a ways as to discredit their witness and the ONE they follow, it carries unfortunate consequences to the Faith as a whole.

Let's face it, Christianity has always been controversial! From the days of Jesus himself to this very moment, the very mention of Christ brings joy to some and consternation to others. Jesus knew this; in fact, he said, that he didn't come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matt. 10.33-35) This is a strange thought, but it makes sense, because making a commitment to Christ requires us to make a decision: will we follow or not? Whichever choice we make, we are saying ‘yes’ to one side and ‘no’ to the other. This will thrill some and disappoint others, but unfortunately, we cannot have it both ways.

What causes me pain, however, is to see those who follow(ed) Jesus abandon Him because they are afraid of how it might look to non-Christians, or because they think they can benefit (i.e., make more money) by distancing themselves from the Savior of the world. It’s as though the word, Christian, is a dirty word. As an aside, I was talking with a pastor friend of mine the other day who told me his/her mission in the church he/she serves is to convince them that the word, Christian, is not a dirty word!

In the face all the controversy that His name stirs, we as Jesus-followers need to remember that this has been the case throughout the history of our faith. People – even those closest to us – might turn their backs on us and shun us for our beliefs, but this has been transpiring for millennia! It's time for those who place their faith in Christ to also stake their reputation in Him! For as the Scripture says, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2.10, emphasis mine)