Reclaiming "Christian"

I have issues with the word “Christian”.

It is a loaded word, worn like a crown by evangelicals and fundamentalists. It’s used as almost a caste system identifier by the aforementioned groups. Here in the US, Christianity is synonymous (particularly to minority groups) with nationalism, homophobia, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, sexism, and proud anti-intellectualism. Christianity is a weapon, and carefully hewn chapters and verses out of its Bible and creed are its ammunition.

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

Your lifestyle is an abomination.

I will pray for you.

If you are not saved, you are damned to the eternal lake of fire.

Christianity has become a loathsome parody of itself. Because a portion of its vitriol (love?) had been leveled at the Catholic Church over the years – Catholics are not considered Christians by some sects- I always felt secure in my parish and beliefs that I did not fall into the caste system.

After leaving the Roman Church I accepted an uncomfortable truth.

Many Catholics are just as vitriolic as evangelicals on many topics, particular LGBTQ+ and sexism. The Knights of Columbus (of which I was a member years ago) has lobbied with evangelicals and in many cases provided the lion’s share of financing efforts to deny LGBTQ+ folks the right to legally marry. Believing Catholics are just as “family values” oriented as the most conservative evangelical groups. “Family values” being code for intolerant homophobic families where the women know their place.

But what is a “Christian”, really?

A Christian is a follower of the teachings of Christ. Simple. 

What did Christ teach? What was His message?

His message was to love. 

“Love the Lord with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind. This is the greatest commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself” – Matthew 22:38-39

Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself. There are no qualifiers, no worthiness test for this love, no loving this neighbor but not that neighbor. We are to love. Jesus loved radically, giving his life for his friends.

In His Resurrection, Jesus "forever ruptured everything that human beings understand about life and death." *

Perhaps it is time that the word Christian is reclaimed by the followers of Christ who follow his radical teaching to Love… without qualifiers. Christians who don’t stop to wonder is a person deserves or is worthy of love.

Because we all are.

I am a Christian.

Still going to take some getting used to…

* quoted from QUEER VIRTUE by Reverend Elizabeth M. Edman, paraphrasing Right Reverend Jeffrey D. Lee