Are Christians and Born-Again Christians different
My neighbor accross the street is a great guy. His name is Jonathan. He is 49 waits tables for a living, cares about the earth, politics, and people. He has a spirited dog named Bella that his ex gave him. This morning while Kathryn was off to a job fair he and I got to talking.
Now a little back ground. The people who used to live in my house were christians. Good people, people of prayer. My neighbors to the south are also believers. Both of these families though had been wrapped up both in the Republican politics of the evangelical church as well as the gay marriage issue in Oregon. They had proudly flown banners, posters, flags, bumper stickers and all the Christian/Republican Party paraphania.
My neighbors to the south recently sold their house and we have yet to meet the new owners. Today as Jonathan the dog owner came over and we chatted outside enjoying the sun he mentioned that he hoped the new owners were good people. I asked what he meant.
Jonathan said that although he enjoyed the couple that used to live in my home he really dislike the Born again Christian message and politics and felt that he had nothing in common with the born again christian thing.
I mentioned that his neighbor Amy faithfully takes her daughter to church every week and he remarked, "Yeah, well she isn't one of those Born Again types, she is easy to be around."
We continued chatting about the neighborhood, all the chores we needed to do around the house and summer plans. All the while though I kept wondering, "somehow for people of this world, there is a difference betwixt just being a Christian and being a "Born Again" Christian."
Sometime in the future I would like to continue this conversation with Jonathan and try and understand exactly what a Born Again Christian is.
This whole conversation just made me really sad. I want to make a difference in this world for the next, but how do I do that.
Now a little back ground. The people who used to live in my house were christians. Good people, people of prayer. My neighbors to the south are also believers. Both of these families though had been wrapped up both in the Republican politics of the evangelical church as well as the gay marriage issue in Oregon. They had proudly flown banners, posters, flags, bumper stickers and all the Christian/Republican Party paraphania.
My neighbors to the south recently sold their house and we have yet to meet the new owners. Today as Jonathan the dog owner came over and we chatted outside enjoying the sun he mentioned that he hoped the new owners were good people. I asked what he meant.
Jonathan said that although he enjoyed the couple that used to live in my home he really dislike the Born again Christian message and politics and felt that he had nothing in common with the born again christian thing.
I mentioned that his neighbor Amy faithfully takes her daughter to church every week and he remarked, "Yeah, well she isn't one of those Born Again types, she is easy to be around."
We continued chatting about the neighborhood, all the chores we needed to do around the house and summer plans. All the while though I kept wondering, "somehow for people of this world, there is a difference betwixt just being a Christian and being a "Born Again" Christian."
Sometime in the future I would like to continue this conversation with Jonathan and try and understand exactly what a Born Again Christian is.
This whole conversation just made me really sad. I want to make a difference in this world for the next, but how do I do that.
posted by Jonathan Myers at 8:54 PM
3 Comments:
Interesting. His idea of born again might be thinking you must believe Abortion, Gay Marraige and Liberal Governmental Parties are Evil.. Which is known as the "Conservative Evangelical Christian Church of America" when in all reality being born again has to do with the spirit in Christ. But it is quite interesting to see what non-christians believe it means to be born again since.
Jonathan! Just found your blog linked to Justin's. I'll link you too. I'll read ya later!
-Aaron
Jack the Butcher told me a story about the whole Born again thing. He and his wife invited some friends that they had been getting to know over to their house to read the Gospel of John out loud together. His friend was reading John 3 out loud, when Jesus said that you must be "born again," to which he exclaimed in shocks, "That's in the BIBLE?!"
I think that phrase has been corrupted in just about every possible way. Jesus used it to describe a way of humility, becoming once again like a helpless little child. Isn't it ironic that it is used as a negative label for Christians who don't seem to reflect that humble sort of transformation. It just might take a whole lot of people embodying the real meaning of "born again" to do the work of re-defining that term.
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