Oh no. It’s another article about looking different from the non-Christians around us in which the conclusion is to go forth and look like ‘a Christian’. I’m an individual, get me out of here…
God made us all unique. Part of our journey with him is exploring who we are, what our gifts are, how our experiences have shaped us.
Each of us is a mystery, our hearts hidden from those closest to us, and sometimes even from ourselves. And yet, as people who live in truth, the way we portray ourselves externally must be a true reflection of the person we are on the inside. Even if we don’t understand everything about ourselves.
God is often beyond understanding. Who can explain the tsunami? Jesus is unfathomable. Any one of a hundred things about him might surprise you: the hours he spent in prayer, the way he stood up to people who abused their authority, how he hung around with people whom no-one else liked.
Any questions?
A more popular word for ‘mysterious’ in evangelical circles might be ‘radical’.
Our lives can also be mysterious, or intriguing, or radical, and cause our neighbours to ask questions. But the worst thing I can do is tell you how to be radical in being yourself. The most genuine form of giving or prayer or compassion is the one you decide for yourself.
Tearfund’s partners are radical in their own ways: a church in Ethiopia has demonstrated how food distribution work can be free from corruption. A project in India is training outcast women to be village health workers. A Cambodian couple have sold all they own to open a safe house for trafficked children.
Village health worker Sukhubai, who has leprosy, teaches people in rural India about good health.
So, what about us? The important thing is to explore our uniqueness and hope that we live in a way that encourages people to continue asking questions about God.
This was Paul’s prayer, in tune with his calling and his circumstances: ‘Pray that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.’ (Ephesians 6:19)
What's your prayer?