Two of my favorite people, in the same room.

Nation

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They will know we are Christians by our clever use of synonyms.

It is an odd trend I’ve noticed for us Christians to call ourselves “Christ-followers”. It seems rather cheeky, counterproductive, and if I daresay prideful; a cool-guy attempt at sidestepping the tragedies of our heritage and the crap of our present. In my research (I had an edifying peek at the Passion website where it is the vernacular), I didn’t uncover any legitimate schism in the faith to merit this new title, but I may be misinformed.

Perhaps this mysterious name upgrade is similar to the move away from ‘colored’ or ‘Negro’ that transpired in the previous century. Those words were tied to violence, hatred and a history and new words were given birth to provide a space for new culture and meaning. Is ‘Christ-follower’ a more active word, implying more than just identity, a bit like ‘person of color’ implies personhood and not just physicality. These word games are the Dickens. I must be missing something here. Please, let me know, I’m no good at such post-religion gaming.

My faith priorities include an obsessive need to be hip, witty, passively inclusive, without blemish, and positionally distanced from the prosperity gospel, nominal faith, WASPiness, evangelicalism, sexiness, Osteenism, Kirk Cameron, vicarship, the Inquisitions (unless really necessary), slavery, the Crusades (the Iraq War being the obvious exception–duh), and anything the news media would intentionally obscure one’s identity for embodying, such as obesity, body hair, gopherism, or VD. Oh, and I believe that Christ is the Messiah too, is there a good clean word for all that? (that was mixed sarcasm there, take your picks)

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Always take the express baby, always.

My housemate and I shared a bus ride to work this morning. We chatted up the idea that a decline in our economic power, the bankruptcy of Social Security, and high housing and energy costs among other things would actually improve our standard of living, for such circumstances require us to live close to one another, consume less, carpool, walk to the market and church, know the first names of those who share the mailbox post. These are all pleasant things, but often avoided when our modern conveniences allow us the freedom to do and shop and live in hundred square mile spaces–noble ideals indeed. And then, not half a moment later, as we sped by all the non-express stops on the 5 route, I pointed with mocking glee–see how sweet the express is Carl! We don’t have to stop and pick up all those assholes!

I can be a silly man sometimes, good silly.

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