"You’re a Christian?"

Here is the scene in which this question was asked…

My friend Dayna and I are out at Joann’s Fabric Store with five girls from the neighborhood picking out material to add a little “bling” to our dance dresses for the Christmas Banquet this December.

For some of the girls it was their first time going to a fabric store. We had a good time walking around and looking at all the different patterns and textures, and giving Dayna “the look” as she kept picking tacky trim on purpose.  We all got a good laugh as one fabric was suggested and everyone else thought it was rather ugly. Looking at the sale tag it said “Lame’ ” pronounced - (La-May). But we all “saw L-A-M-E! “Why do they sell “LAME” fabric anyways?”

As we are waiting in line Dayna is teasing me about something. I give her “the look” and laugh while saying, “You had better not.” Dayna replies with “I wouldn’t, that would not be very Christian of me.” Behind us we hear a question that confuses me. One the girls pipes up and says, “You guys are Christians?”

Dayna and I look at each other a little unsure. “Yes, we are Christians… we pick you up for church on Sundays, talk about Jesus, have Bible studies at camp…” Us still looking confused and a sinking feeling in my heart as I question myself, and wonder how this dear one could not know that we were Christians after years of being with us.

The girl smiles “Oh, yea ok” but you’re not “Christians” as she makes quotation makers in the air. “Your… (pause and thinks)… Your ‘FUN Christians!’ ” “I take that as a glorious complement.” I replied, as she smiled again and walked off satisfied that she had re-categorized us.

Last night as I was thinking about her question and then her response, I could do nothing but thank Jesus; thankful that she saw the love of Christ. That for a short moment we were able to put a different definition of a follower of Jesus then the judgmental and legalistic definition that she has inside her young mind.

May we be known not as “cultural Christians” but as followers of the living God. Let us confuse people by our love for one another so that they may see us and glorify our Father in Heaven. Let it me as Jesus said. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another.”