One of my favorite activities as an adult has been hiking. Being outdoors, being in the quiet surrounded by nature, and moving at a comfortable pace is my way of disconnecting. However, this is an activity that I have been unable to pass along to my children, and I think I know why.
We were vacationing in the West Virginia hills, and I decided that the whole family would hike to Balanced Rock. It wasn’t a very long hike, about 2.5 miles. That is, until I got everybody a little lost. It turns out that holding the map in different directions, apparently on a whim, does not lead to quality orienteering.
Well, we did eventually get there, and though there were 3 rocks mysteriously balancing on top of each other, no one was really impressed, and no one was really interested in following me through the woods ever again. Choosing who to follow, in any circumstance, is an important decision that has led me to think about why I have made the choices that I have. In this instance, the choice to follow Christ.
Choosing
Though I grew up in a Christian household, I am sure that I am not a Christian just because it was the path of least resistance, nor because it fits into the culture of my present world. I was baptized as an infant and went forward to be ‘saved’ when I was in eighth grade; however, during college, I started asking more questions and looking into other philosophies and faiths. Then, soon after college, I wouldn’t say that I abandoned Christianity, but more that I wasn’t really following.
My choice to return then came as a married adult who was able to look at a broader outlook on life and decided that this faith represented the truth, and I should follow that truth. But please note my verb tense. I did not say chose (past tense), or will choose (future tense), or will have been being chosen (future perfect continuous passive tense), but the present tense, choose. It is a decision I must make every day, if not multiple times a day. Will I do what the world asks? Will I do what I feel is comfortable? Or will I choose Jesus?
I do not always make the right choice here, but I am striving to make that choice my default. A verse I try to repeat to myself several times a day, “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world” (John 4:4), helps me follow this narrower path.
Following
Though we are taught to think that we are independent, free thinkers, everyone follows somebody. Whether it be a politician, an artist, a stylist, a family member, or whatever. There are many times where this happens without our even knowing about it. I am a Chicago Cubs fan because my father was (and trust me, that is not a decision I would have made after research and forethought). We follow people concerning what we like, how we dress, who we trust, how we support others, but more importantly, what makes us feel safe.
A study by Moscovici and Zavalloni found that “beliefs we hold are strengthened when we are around others who hold similar views.” In other words, we tend to make shortcuts in our decision-making process when we ‘just go along with the crowd.’
So, even though following Jesus is easier when we are in community, it is not the same thing as choosing to follow and keeping that path when we are alone. This is a choice that we must, first of all, make when it causes us to stand out rather than blend in. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons that I decided to write this monthly essay and publish it for the world to see is so that I can’t hide my faith or hide behind my faith.
Jesus
I have met, and may even be one of, a Christian who is petty, vindictive, lazy, misogynistic, racist, short-sighted, hateful, judgmental, greedy, covetous, etc. This is why I do not follow any human Christian (sorry, Pastor). I even get a little concerned when Paul tells the Corinthians, “I urge you, then, be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” I mean, sure, Paul had a lot going on and a past that made him uniquely qualified to lead, but I’d rather just follow Jesus. So why Jesus?
In reading philosophy from other centuries and other faiths, there is much to be admired, and I’m confident that there are aspects of my own faith that I cannot fully understand this side of Heaven, and I know enough about how Scripture works to refrain from claims that my interpretation is the only one that matters. I can also spend a great deal of time defending Christ and the Christian view of God through the ancient practice of apologetics (trust me, no one wants that). Instead, I have decided to support my choice very simply: Jesus loves the way I want to love and rejects the ways that I feel are the most harmful.
- But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)
- Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3–5)
- What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
- Give justice to the weak, and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hands of the wicked (Psalm 82:3–4)
This is what I want; this is how I want to live. This is why I follow Jesus. There is a wonderful image in Malachi that depicts God as a ‘refiner’s fire.’ In other words, this path will burn off what is impure and leave what can be re-formed into something better. I am far from refined, or even all that fine, but I am pretty sure that I am on the correct path.
