Eats With Sinners

Note: This blog was originally posted July 21, 2007 on MySpace.

Committed to Christ, but walking the line
between the sacred and the secular.

This is where I'd like to be in my faith walk. This is where I try to be.

But should I even try to walk this line?

This week, I'd like to use a made-up term called an Everlast Christian. I recently rediscovered the song "What It's Like" by Everlast, former frontman of hip-hop group House of Pain. The song is a bluesy rap about life's harsh situations and how people can so easily point the finger of condemnation against their fellow man. While I'm not attempting to analyze Everlast's beliefs, I do admire his overall message and the way he transmits it to the public. He uses profanity and poetry to get his point across:
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"We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange
He asks the man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes
Get a job you f****n slob is all he replied
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues"
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The Everlast Christian knows that to relate to a person who isn't a Christian, he must speak to them where they are at. At times, he must break the stereotypes of what a Christian is in order to make a bold point. That may mean using profanity. That may mean taking a friend to a bar to talk over some beers. The Everlast Christian does what Jesus did — eats with sinners.

I find myself drawn to the characteristic of Jesus that ate with sinners. To me it says that I follow a Savior who met people where they were in their life and wasn't holier-than-thou when he was with them. He ate with them, spoke truth to them, and was a friend to them. While he did condemn people's actions at times, he loved more. It's funny; even in his condemnation of people's actions, he broke down Christian stereotypes. It's kind of weird to picture Jesus angrily flipping over tables at the temple, isn't it?

While I want to be totally committed to Christ, I don't want to ever think of myself as less of a sinner than anyone else. Sometimes my sins remind me that I'm human and need God just as much as the next guy. That doesn't justify sin, but I do like being reminded that I'm no better than anyone else.

So how do I place myself on the same level as everyone else, while continually trying to be a better person? How do I try to sin less, while still realizing that there's always sin in my life? These are my current thoughts and questions. I'm sure I don't have it figured out yet.