The year 2020 has seen me question if I even have the mustard seed kind of faith(and that’s really tiny!!)… I know, the year just started, but hey, we are real people. This brought me to something I wrote sometime back on Faith and I chose to edit/update it.
I have been a ‘Christian’ all my life- or so I like to think. A friend recently pointed out to me that if my parents had been Muslim or Hindu I would most probably have ended up so. I cannot argue against that line of thought because ‘what if’ is not really a question. This same friend though born to a christian family is still searching for a faith that fits them.
The point of the conversation was not to try to convince them mine is the way they should go. However, I did share how I hope to be a walking, breathing, working, and many things testimony of what I believe. The conversation did leave me really thinking about what I had shared. Did I mean it? What would it look like to be a living testimony of Christ? Am I qualified?
I quoted the word CHRISTIAN earlier because though many of us use it to state our religion, I have come to learn that it actually means ‘Christ follower’. What does that really mean? How do I follow Christ? A few hours later, like most of us I was browsing through social media.
I noticed that on our various social media platforms, the option to follow or unfollow people is at the push of a button(or tap of a finger to be more accurate for those who are wondeirng what buttons are), that’s all it takes. Many of us do so without giving it much thought. Some, like me, when given suggestions of who we should follow- go through their profiles, recent activity, friends etc… I need to know who I am about to choose to follow. What are they saying that interests me? Do we share any opinions? Is it informative? Is it applicable to where I am currently at in life?
Am I too picky? Not really! I am also not tech savvy and don’t use social media as much as most of my peers. So most of what happensn many of these platforms is lost on me. However, I do know that when you follow someone you get constant updates on their activities on said platform. You get access to their pictures, thoughts, food, preferences, travels, etc..depending on how much of their lives they are willing and able to share.
It hit me then that maybe being a Christ follower was that simple. I make the choice once, and on a daily basis I get to know a bit more about who I am following. I read His posts(in the Bible); some of them I question. Sometimes I don’t necessarily care for what He has to say. There are a few times I will like, share or quote Him. Sometimes I will even engage into a long debate/ study/ conversation.
So what happens if I am offline? Or if I get the alerts for new posts but don’t bother to check them out? I could not help but think of a couple of things that we do in our ‘normal’ lives and also apply to our faith lives(yes, some of us keep these in very separate folders):
1. Influence
It is true we follow many people on social media, some of whom we have never met and may never meet. Some of us follow organisations, movements, etc…never really knowing the face or name of the individual who manages those accounts. Yet we take their views, reports, etc and allow them to inform our choices, investments and sometimes our mood. However, this privilege is not extended to every single person or organisation that we follow; we save it for a few.
How then does following Christ inform my day? Do I check ehat he has posted as soon as I wake up? Is his page/account marked for me to “view first”? Do I check in with Him before I invest? When I need to form an opinion, do I consult His? When I face situations and things different from what I expected or believed to be what He promised or what I deserve for my loyal following, do I check my reactions with him or do I push “post/share” my unbelief and slander His name without even checking the facts with him via inbox?
Would this mean that I follow Christ with my thoughts; when I meet a stranger; when my neighbor’s stereo is on too loud; when that employee or intern seems to have forgotten why they are here; when my boss is not making ‘sense’; when I am tempted to think my family would do better belonging to someone else;when my ‘significant’ other seems to be losing their significance; when the doctor says they feel a ‘growth’ and suggest further ‘investigation’…?
Could it be that maybe, following Christ translates into my daily dealings; that when He says ‘love your neighbor’ I strive to be that person who does so; that as I follow, I obey?
2. Response
If you are like me, you browse through.. see things you like, share one or two; like a few; don’t spare some a second glance; and some you stop and read, comment, then re read and even follow up on any links provided.
When it comes to faith:
some of us are silent followers. We do follow, we read the scriptures, we go to church and listen. But unless you are a mind reader or a stalker, you would never know.
Others are seasonal. Based on our other more important duties, we get our daily/weekly/monthly dose of a sermon(maybe on TV or a random street preacher, who by the way we think needs to get a grip and get a real job), take a few notes and adios… until next time!
Some of us are lobbysits: We share every post, invite our contacts to like the page, shout it from the mountain tops(literally), wear the T-shirt if ts available, take part in every challenge but no one knows for sure if we truly believe in the cause or have been employed as salesmen.
Interestingly, just as we respond differently to social media so do we to Christ. If someone picked 10 christians at random and followed them around without their knowledge, I am convinced the person would leave wondering whether Christ had multiple personality disorder. Is there one correct way of being Christian?
Nways, I was just wondering about myself and the faith I claim to be of. Just by looking at some of my social media practices I wondered what Christ would say if asked about my followership. If he were a human account, would he even know me from the millions? Would he need to? If he has a page, would I get a badge for top fan? Why is that important to me?
When it comes to faith, I have always been bothered by the fact that I have more questions than answers. That I can’t seem to ‘figure it out ‘(which if you know me can be a very frustrating place). Then recently I heard someone say “If you can explain it, it’s not faith!”and I had to review my notion of faith.
One of the definitions of faith is: strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
So to everyone who has asked about the hows the whens and the whys, I am so sorry I do not have all the responses to your questions. However, I do have faith that as I grow in my followership, my life and everything in it will be conformed to testify that Christ is Lord.It doesn’t make sense, and yet it beats all reason for me. For those who don’t believe in Christ, I respect your unbelief and have faith that He will make himself known to you.
Belinda K 