What I Wish I Had Said at the Beginning

The problem with writing a blog from a Christian perspective is that the likelihood is there of angering a great many people from time to time, none of whom will be in a hurry to burn down my home but who may seethe quietly, tsk tsking a perceived "holier than thou" arrogance. Really, it's the problem with talking about the nuts and bolts of Christianity anywhere, in any way, to anyone.

This is why I wish I were as smart as C.S. Lewis. I'm reading Mere Christianity again right now, and about every five sentences I come across a brilliant line that I've got to stop and soak in. One really stood out to me yesterday, though, one I wish I had said myself a long time ago. In describing the Christian lifestyle, Lewis writes, "I am not trying to tell you in this book what I could do - I can do precious little - I am telling you what Christianity is."

And there it is. Whatever I write here, whatever I talk about, whatever I discuss in conversations with friends and family, both believers and atheists, this is where I'm coming from. And it's where a great many Christians are coming from when they talk about the faith as well. Talking about perfection (Christ) is not a claim of perfection from the individual. Lewis, like all of us, "can do precious little" on his own; but failing to do something perfectly does not disqualify one from understanding the message. Getting a math problem wrong does not mean I have to quit believing in math, and knowing how to teach point guards doesn't mean I can play the position. 

Yes, a great many "Christians" get this wrong. The tenets of Christianity they love to talk about are the ones they are easily able to follow. They are creating a bad name for the faith, and I apologize for them. But they are the weak Christians, if they are Christians at all. It is the strong ones who will talk about Christ's teachings on lust or money or forgiveness and add that they struggle mightily. The strong ones talk about their weaknesses. But they also understand that the fact they are weak doesn't give them a "get out of truth free" card.

Whatever I write here, I write to get closer to the truth. I write to challenge myself and encourage others to discuss that truth, debate that truth, and chase that truth. We are all imperfect. But we don't get closer to perfection and truth by lying about what it is.