I am a Christian.

What does that really mean?  The word “Christian” is just an associative term we use to identify a group of people.  A group who supposedly follow the tenets and canon of Christianity, or the teachings of Christ, a guy named Jesus who lived more than 2000 years ago.  He was executed by the rural arm of the Roman empire and some pissed off local leadership and his followers went on to write a bunch of materials which were combined with older Jewish teachings into a book we call the Bible.  This book and the religious fire set alight by Jesus’ disciples went on to form the largest religion in the world, with some 2+ billion followers today.

That’s what a Christian is, as a social category at least.  But what does being a Christian really mean?  What is the purpose?  What is the physical and psychological embodiment of the word?

Many people have an answer to this question.  I would surmise that an even greater number do not.  They “are” Christians, as in they exist and identify with that moniker, but they do not know what it really means.  They understand the history and the basic metaphysical implications, as in “a God exists” and “Jesus was sent by God to die on the cross and now we hunt for chocolate eggs to celebrate”.  But understanding history and reciting the facts is not an understanding of the meaning, the significance, and the sheer weight of its purpose.  How do I know this?  Because I’ve seen those who truly do hold this level of understanding  and are so convicted of it that it literally changes their lives in ways that they can’t help but espouse the awesome power and beauty of it to others.  Say that 10 times fast.

The rest?  They muddle through life, just existing.  A beer here, some fleeting relationships there.  Perhaps a marriage, held together only by some raw determination or stubborn expectation of duty.  On Christmas or Easter they will go to whatever church into which they were born.  Perhaps a few other times a year if Grandma is especially convincing that day.

I know this because I was a Diet Christian for a good chunk of my life.  I won’t go into the reasons, suffice to say that in my experience a good number of my generation and even the generation before mine hit the same rough patch and lost all of their Christian calories.  In my case, it was a reaction to the staunch and unbending ritual and routine of the Catholic church, but it happens in many other denominations and religions too. The important point here is that I understand the mindset.  I understand the rationalizations that go on, and the complete apathy toward forcing yourself to pursue a deeper understanding of what being a Christian should really be.  I’ve lived in the ceremonial refugee camps.

Why can I make this assertion, that this lifestyle is somehow the sugar-free version of Christianity?  Why can I speak with confidence about “what a Christian should really be”?  Because I’m not just making this up.  The ground rules were laid 2000 years ago, and have, despite some truly rough patches of religious corruption, held up over 2 millenia of scrutiny. I’ve got the collective wisdom of 100 generations at my back, baby.  Despite disagreements about the mechanics of life itself or other politicized topics, the deep foundations of morality, love, ethics, honor, respect, dignity, compassion, and so many other virtues that are so very vital to our existance and social equilibrium are woven into the very fabric of the bible, not because of a random lightening strike, but because generations of scholars were deliberately inspired to construct such a foundation.  I find that the more I study it, the more the pillars of the various books support each other.  The brilliance and depth of the ideas expressed in the Good Book hold a far deeper complexity than most give credit.

I won’t make a diatribe here in rebuttal of the criticism that has been made of the Bible or the faith that has been built on it (again by billions of people), there are others far more capably equipped than myself to do that.  Some of them even have fancy degrees and letters after their names. What I will do is make my final point regarding the apathy of Diet Christianity: if you are dozing your life away in this category, it’s time to wake up.  You’re holding on to a title for no reason.  You maintain an association that you do nothing for.  If you truly want to make your Christian badge useful, open your eyes to the faith around you.  Put the religion on hold for a moment and pay attention to what the God you profess to believe in is truly doing.  There is a deeper truth at work than you realize, and the path to find it is always right in front of you.

Here are the practical steps that have unfrozen my senses and assisted in my own, personal revival:

1. When you read the bible (and you should; I say this knowing full well that I don’t read it as often as I should, that’s a topic for another time), don’t just read the words.  Examine them.  Dissect them. If necessary, get a study guide, or better yet check out http://www.blueletterbible.com and check out the translation and other tools there.  You can unlock a lot of meaning by cross referencing translations.

2. After you’ve read the bible, read the bible.  Again.  Maybe again, again. This time, don’t just strive for reading comprehension, but take to heart what you find within.  Realize that the writers didn’t just randomly unleash their prose upon the page - it was inspired by God himself for a reason.  If the creator of everything you see took the time to inspire human writers to create a 1000+ page book that has existed for 2 millenia, countless critics, and forms the actual physical anchor to our faith and the man who died for our sins, then he probably has a reason for it.  Despite differences in translations, there is a core intention in every verse of that book.  Take it literally, but not too literally.  Don’t be a jerk about taking it literally either, a little common sense goes a long way.  The parts of the book with the rules are fairly explicit and hard to miss.

3. Once you’ve read some of the Good Book, or had a good preacher explain some of the trickier parts to you - and this is probably the most important part here - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.  Realize that the #1 priority in your life is God.  Everything that exists in your life exists because of him.  If you make God your priority, the rest of your life, even the chaotic, turbulent, difficult, trying, heart-wrenching, angering times will go so much smoother and less painfully.  I know, I’ve been there.  Really.  When you make him a priority, you’ll realize just how much stupid, sinful crap you do and how much you justify it to yourself.  Grow some willpower and do the right thing.

4. Listen.  God talks to you.  He really does.  I hear it as these contrarian thoughts I get when I’m going about my life.  If I’m going to do something, and suddenly my train of thought goes down a different, completely perpendicular path, that’s the big guy giving me advice.  As with everything, we have free will, but God gives us nudges, and if you learn to listen, you’ll pick on them.  Given the whole omnipotence thing, I’m inclined to trust his judgement over mine.

So, read the bible and realize it really is the guide book for truly, meaningfully being a follower of Christ.  If you aren’t following what it says, get your act together and change your life.  Once you’ve done that, open up your senses and your mind and God will do the rest.