You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay...

Some of us with a few gray hairs remember that line from a beer commercial a few years back. Yesterday Bill responded to this post and asked about my use of the term "Christ follower".

I have seen you use "christian" as well. Just out of curiosity, do you have something against the term christian? Some people these days seem to shy away from the word and I am confused by that.

One way we communicate is through words. Words have meaning. And a word's meaning can be changed by time, culture or simply in the understanding of the person using the word or hearing the word. For example, when I was a boy, the word "gay" meant "happy". Now it means "homosexual". So if I use it in it's historical sense today and walked into a room of strangers and pronounced, "I'm so gay today" I would get a very different response than if I said, "I'm so happy today." The latter would probably get me some smiles. The former might get me ostracized or worse, depending on who was listening and interpreting what I said.

When the word "Christian" was created by non-believers in the Syrian city of Antioch, it was meant as a derogatory term. They heard believers of "the way" speaking of their Lord and Savior "Christ" and attached the tag "Christians" - adherants or followers of Christ.

Yet throughout history the word has been applied to many groups that, can I say, have been less than "Christian". And in many parts of the world, the word is synonymous with "Westerners", the assumption being that if you're of European descent, you're likely not Hindu, Bhuddist, Muslim, etc., therefore you must be "Christian".

But since it was my use of the term that sparked Bill's question, let me give you my definition. Simply put, I consider a Christian someone who has put their faith in Christ. They are believers that Jesus is the Christ (the anointed One of God) and that His life and death and resurrection provide the only way to God. That's where I'm coming from when I use "Christian". And I believe it to be a biblical understanding of the word.

So, I personally have nothing against using the term Christian as long as those who are hearing (or reading in this case) me understand how I define the word. The problem is, in our current American culture and certainly in other cultures, "Christian" means something different, maybe even something evil. I speak and write with them (non-Christians) in mind. First and foremost my calling in life is to communicate. And to be an effective communicator you have to understand your "audience", whether it's one or a crowd. It's not so much what I'm saying, but what are they hearing?

I'm not a "Christian" because I'm an American residing in the Bible belt. I'm not a "Christian" because I have European ancestry and speak English. I'm not a "Christian" because I attend a church! If I'm a Christian, it is because I have accepted Jesus as the Christ. But all that doesn't come out simply in the word "Christian".

And because I am a Christian my life should be characterized by "following" Him and His example. More on that later.

...but you doesn't have to call me Johnson.