THE MILLENNIAL CHRISTIAN: A NEW SERIES
Preface: this entire post has been sitting (finished) in my drafts since January. I’m not sure why it has taken me this long to get up the nerve to post it. I’m not ashamed. I’m not embarrassed. It’s simply something different that I’ve never really discussed on the internet before. Just thought you should know.
I am a Millennial. I am a Christian.
Listen, I get it. There are so many negative connotations to both of those things, which puts me in a bit of a predicament before I even get started with this series. To be honest, this is way more about me being a Christian than me being a Millennial, but at the same time, I don’t think I could possibly ignore the societal influence of my generation when discussing what Christianity means to me.
Hence, the Millennial Christian.
Sidenote: I frequently get called “Christian” by mistake because, well.. “Christen”. And yes, my parents purposefully spelled it like that so it would have “Christ” in it.
My dad took this photo of me at one of our Christmas services while I was trying desperately to embarrass one of my students by waving at him over the balcony rail. **Please note, this is a pre-coronavirus photo. We have not been to church since early March, and are planning to continue enjoying online worship at home, despite re-opening plans.**
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I was forced into Christianity as a child, but I was definitely raised in the church. It was simply a part of my family’s life. That’s what we did on Sunday mornings. That’s what we still do on Sunday mornings. Of course there was that stretch of time in college when the 9:15am service seemed unbearably early and multiple fights ensued because even though I lived on campus, I went to college in my hometown and was still expected to meet my parents to go to church on Sunday mornings, just like I had for the 17 years leading up to then.
Looking back, I think that’s the first time I remember losing a little bit of faith in the institution of church itself. I considered myself a believer and a good Christian.. so why did I have to physically go to church to prove it? I’m pretty sure my mom thought I was turning into a little heathen during those four years, but in reality, I just really loved my bed.
Another sidenote: I hear a lot of horror stories about dorm/apartment beds, but shout out to Spring Hill College, because those beds were GREAT. But I digress.
Where was I? Right.. the Millennial Christian. Why am I starting this series, again?
The short answer is.. the older I get, the more I have been able to clearly and personally define what Christianity means to me.. outside of the beliefs of my family, my local church, and my denomination. And to do that, I have to strip everything else away and truly study the teachings of Jesus Christ.
One of the main ways Jesus taught His Word was by telling stories. Obviously, stories can be open for interpretation, which is why I think there are so many differing opinions and factions inside Christianity itself. However, there is one defining moment in Jesus’ teaching that I don’t think is open for interpretation, and we find His words being recounted in all four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
If I had to choose a favorite version to share, it would be the one in Matthew 22:35-39..
And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him (Jesus) a question to test Him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He (Jesus) said to him (the lawyer), “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
However, I especially love the extra emphasis on the “loving your neighbor” part in John 13:34-35..
(Jesus said,) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
LOVE.
When you really get down to the core message of Jesus’ teachings.. it’s all about LOVE. And if I had to define how I attempt to live my life as a Millennial Christian, LOVE is what I would start with. Because, as it says in John, that’s how people will know that I am a disciple of Christ.
I’m super excited for this series, and the real conversations that I hope will come from it. If I’m being totally honest, I’m also scared to death to put this out into the world. If you ever have any topics you’re curious about or want to discuss, I would absolutely love to hear from you here or over on Instagram.