Odd One Out

“There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation.” ― Madeleine L'Engle

We are all born unique and never meant to blend in, yet, humans spend a lot of time in life trying to fit in and look the same as others. We fear being different and labeled as weird, odd, or sinful. Then, slowly over time, we continue to strive to be something we are not and lose ourselves in the process.

What makes you odd may be sacred, and you need to learn to own it.

For those raised in the church, the deck is already stacked against you. Modern-day Christianity has developed a culture of control that uses guilt and shame to conform congregants. Then, lines are drawn as one side is labeled sacred and the other secular. Yet, it is a fake ideal that is more pious than Biblical. It is a lie.

The way of Christ was meant to free us to walk differently. Jesus set up a set of Kingdom ethics that called for love, acceptance, and grace. The Kingdom of God did not call for conformity; it called for action.

Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Serve those in need. Feed the poor. All of those are expressions of a faith that loves deeply and acts lovingly.

Christ's ways were audacious because they celebrated the uniqueness of the individual.

With Jesus, odd is beautiful, and actions matter.

Jesus painted outside the lines and celebrated those the empire had long forgotten. He loved those that religion had cast away. We are called to do the same.

We need to work at untangling God from this cacophony of religious bullshit. God created humans to be unique and creative. She did not create drones or cookie-cutter beings. God wants us to be different. God wants us to own our oddity because it is very beautiful. Like Mike Yaconelli said, "You should know the truth, and the truth should make you odd."

Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world.

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