christian consumerism

JESUS IS LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you know this is true press like. :) on ♥

This is a link that I saw on Facebook yesterday. Many of my friends posted it and thus it ended up on my profile a few times.

I find myself hesitant to "like" it.

It may be my rebellious nature, but I am hesitant to "like" Christian statements...even ones that I agree with like the one above. I think that I feel pressured, which I don't like very much. I also feel like this mouse click becomes the determiner of whether or not I am Christian or love Jesus. Isn't the Christian life supposed to be about a lot more than facebook statuses or liking or disliking statements? Isn't a worldview that has been dangerous enough to get people killed consistently for 2000 years something that cannot be captured in a single line?

I was curious enough about this particular status to click the the heart button though.

What I found was a page that ranking the number of "likes" various statements had achieved. "Jesus is Lord" was along side statements about being "badass" or various "this person is hotter than this person" ideas. And what else was on that page...ads. Ads equal revenue on the web.

So what I realized was that liking "Jesus is Lord" really meant giving money to some organization that Facebook has reported is phishing and installing malware on people's computers.

I have no beef with saying "Jesus is Lord". Saying so in the 1st century was actively affirming Jesus over Ceaser. This is a statement that is dripping in revolution and power. It just makes me sad that this statement is now used to target Christians for computer hacking and financial gain. I think Christians (myself included!) are so ready to affirm what we believe in words, that we can feel like we are not faithful or bold if we are hesitant to agree with every Christian statement or email that comes our way.

I believe that we affirm or deny Jesus' Lordship in how we live. Having more "likes" than someone else, or find 1,000,000 Christians doesn't really further Jesus' Kingdom. How we love others does. How we serve others does. Introducing people to Jesus they haven't met with scripture study does.

I will gladly be used by somebody, if that will show the sacrificial love of Jesus, but not so that some company can make a few bucks.

I Believe

i believe...

I believe in God. He is good, fair and just. I believe that he is the embodiment of love. I believe that the world was created out of the abundance of that love.

I believe that Jesus is God's son and is God himself. I believe that Jesus lived in most dynamic, perfect and revolutionary life that can be lived. I believe he was executed for being too dynamic, perfect and revolutionary. I believe that he rose from the dead and that when he died he got what we had coming. I believe that him coming back from the dead is what we now have coming.

I believe in God's Spirit. I believe that God exists in the world now. Is doing stuff now. Is healing hearts and bodies now.

I believe in damage. I believe that the world that was created out of love has been damaged. I believe that people want more than they need or are entitled to. They want more stuff, power and escape than they can handle. I believe that damage is fueled by a spiritual enemy who is just as spiteful and greedy as God is loving.

I believe that nothing has to stay dead.

I believe that everything can be restored.

I believe that I am never allowed be violent towards someone else. I am not to wield my power against them.

I believe that God has a Kingdom. It looks like Jesus, stretched out over/under everything.

I believe that God's Kingdom is my home and my nationality.

I believe that fear and guilt are evidence of the damage, not of the Kingdom.

I believe that God doesn't make people love or live with him. But invites everyone to.

I believe that I am inadequate.

I believe that I am infinitely valuable.

I believe that the Kingdom is a welfare state.

I believe that good and beautiful things belong to God.

I believe that God is a creator and he loves when we create.

I believe that God is not intimidated questions. I believe that his enemy is terrified by them.

I believe that God weeps.

I believe that God laughs.

I believe that God angers.

I believe that God relents.

I believe that God is curious.

I believe that God is fascinated.

I believe that God is not satisfied.

I believe that God loves me more than my wife does.

I believe that people are supposed to be together, with God.

I believe that people are not supposed to hate other people. That offends God.

I believe that people should not be the ones who make seeing God harder.

I believe that Jesus came so that people could see God.

I believe that Jesus started church so that people could still see God.

I believe that church can help people see God still.

I believe that Jesus lived simply. I believe that matters.

I believe that Jesus lived with people.

I believe that Jesus spent time with good people.

I believe that Jesus spent time with bad people.

I believe that Jesus forgave people.

I believe that Jesus gave purpose to people.

I believe that Jesus offended people that he loved.

I believe that Jesus was honest.

I believe that Jesus only yelled at religious people.

I believe that Jesus didn't squelch curiosity.

I believe that Jesus wasn't racist or sexist.

I believe that Jesus was too beautiful to ignore.

I believe that Jesus was too beautiful to live.

I believe that Jesus is still alive.

I believe the church is supposed to look like Jesus.

I believe the church can look like Jesus.