An Introduction and Disclaimer

For those of you who read my first post, you more than likely ascertained that I am a Christian. This, unfortunately, requires some explanation. I am not any of the televangelists you briefly see on the channels you probably skip over. I am not the crisply dressed person who knocks on your door at nine in the morning on Saturday and wants to discuss the content of their handy-dandy pamphlets. In fact, I'm currently wearing a sleeveless promo shirt for a hometown rock band, Arizona blue jeans, and flip flops, and, frankly, pamphlets usually irritate me, too.

Not to demean the televangelists or the pamphlet discussers. I'm certain that they're good people with the best of intentions. Even so, I distance myself. I don't know if this will be a news flash to any of you, but that's not what we all look like. Now, granted, that's what some of us look like. But, contrary to what often seems to be popular opinion, we are not hopelessly naive, thoroughly bigoted crackpots who watch reruns of The 700 Club all day.

Now, to be fair, I'm sure that there are all of seven people who actually do that. But the media would often have you believe that 98% of us do. Unfair and patently incorrect, but without something to judge it against, who's to call, say, Matt Groening out on his portrayal?

I mean, think about it. Who's the most boring character on The Simpsons? Reverend Timothy Lovejoy. Oh, but it goes on. Who is the dorkiest, most dimwitted character on M*A*S*H, with the possible exception of Klinger? Father Mulcahy. Who were the villains in the movie Stigmata? Cardinals in the Catholic Church. Who was shown as morally weak in that same movie? The priest involved with the main character. The elements of Holy Communion are flushed down a toilet on the February 22 episode of "Committed" on NBC. Jesus Christ wears a diaper in the Jerry Springer opera and claims that he's "a bit gay." And on and on it goes. Mock Christians, get a raise. Mock Muslims, or sexual preference, or women, or race, and chase your decapitated head out the office door.

All I know to say is that I'm me. I'm not 72, I don't chuck Bibles at people, I don't shoot abortionists. I do think we are called to more than we can give ourselves. I do think you can have a dozen piercings, or a dozen tattoos, and still be a Christian. And I do know that I have been called and commissioned to a purpose that transcends my personal desires. So please don't backbite me for living in line with my convictions - after all, don't you do the same thing?