One of Us

I visited my hometown last weekend to spend time with some friends and see my family. That Saturday was the first day I had truly done nothing productive whatsoever in month, and I relished it. As I was driving a friend and his fiancee to dinner with another of our friends, both of them whipped out their phones to play the new Pokemon game. His fiancee asked me if I played as well, but before I could answer, my friend responded, "No, honey. He's not like us." He went on to tell her I wasn't glued to technology, nor obsessed with Pokemon, and that I'd only "had a smartphone for like two weeks."

And that's just a lie. It's been just over a year, as a matter of fact. (Rest in Peace, dumbphone.)

It made me think, though. Our call as Christians is to live in this world while recognizing we belong to a different one (John 17:14,16; Hebrews 11:13-16). That means we're not "like us." We're not "one of us," at least not completely, and not as viewed by those who aren't Christians. This doesn't mean we can't capture tiny monsters on our smartphones, but it does mean we live our lives differently. We value the holy, not the popular. We abstain from certain things, no matter how attractive. On the flip side, we do things which don't appeal to the average individual.

We're just not "one of us." We never can be. Instead we're the strange ones, the ones who get picked last at recess. We're the ones not living for ourselves, not seeking instant gratification. We're the lovers, the carers, the doers. We work in broken places. We laugh with those who laugh. We cry with those who cry. We pursue joy, not just ephemeral happiness. We have faith and hope. We try to be like Christ.

We can do that because we know Christ died for us. Our sins have been forgiven. Others can share in that forgiveness, too -- and that's good news!