Being Christian

Let's tackle religion today, shall we ?  That never gets up anyone's nose.

I don't want to debate religions, truths or recent world events that have religiously based triggers, rather I want to talk about behaviours.  Walking the walk versus talking the talk.  This is top of mind for me recently as I seethe a little when I encounter hypocrisy (and one doesn't need to look very far in any direction), and perhaps more pertinently as I've started to wear a bracelet.

A bracelet you say  - is it a cross, a fish, a crucifixion, or a WWJD one ?  Nope, nothing so fancy or overt.  It simply says "pay it forward".  It's intended to incite a degree of kindness towards one another from the wearer, and I think it works for me - I am notably kinder to others when wearing it.  Which makes me think of behavior.  See ? there are always links.

So, how we act towards one other is something for which my antenna is up these days, and there is plenty to witness. More and more as I peruse various media, I'm seeing individuals wrap themselves in God to declare their intentions.  It's various versions of God, to be ultra PC about this, but I happen to have been raised Christian, so I'm most aware of and sensitive to manifestation of Christianity.  I think this is a little like swearing in another language, it doesn't quite fit and feels funny, it's almost unreal to see someone prostrate themselves for their beliefs that you don't happen to share.

I think being Christian should be a little like being pregnant.  Like the old joke goes, you don't get to be just a little pregnant, you either are, or you aren't.  Similarly, if you claim to be Christian or (insert your favourite religion here), you need to 'be' it, full time, no breaks, no exceptions for one day a week etc.  It galls me to see otherwise wonderful, loving people behaving situationally hatefully and spitefully.

I'm not talking about somebody having the odd bad day, and offering various hand gestures in traffic - no I'm referring to someone that defines who they are by their spirituality, and then for a given area of their life,  has an almost polar opposite set of approaches to life.   They're mean in terms kids would use, and we understand clearly.  You know what it makes me think when I come across these people ?  It makes me think their religion and outward graciousness is a cover, and they're actually mean-spirited people.  I bet it makes you think that too.

So here's my own homemade solution - make or source one of these 'pay it forward' bracelets and do something nice for one of these hypocrites.  Then watch as their wrist withers and blackens.  And be thankful it's not you.