Saying Goodbye to Being Christian

I no longer identify myself as a Christian.

Since I was a young teen, I have called myself a Christian. This confession has shaped my life, directed my educational pursuits, and determined my life's vocation. But, in recent years, I no longer identify myself by the term "Christian."

I am a follower of Jesus, a disciple.

The term "Christian," like so many religious terms, has taken on too much baggage. To identify as a Christian automatically leads to the next question: what kind of Christian? What brand? I often find myself having to explain "I am not that kind of Christian." So, instead, I no longer use the term.

Interestingly, the term "Christian" was given to the early followers by outsiders. Those early Jesus followers talked about and patterned their lives after "the Christ." Thus, their neighbors referred to them as Christ-ones, Christians.

But not today. Today, the label "Christian" has been hijacked. Today, the term "Christian" is associated with beliefs and positions on issues rather than with a life patterned after the teachings of Jesus. Jesus' spirit of love has been displaced by rigid positions and condemnation of those who do not agree with those positions. And many of those positions are not who I am or what I believe. Even more, many of those positions do not reflect who Jesus was or what he taught, as I understand it. They do not reflect the spirit of Jesus or express the love of Jesus.

So I am saying goodbye to being "Christian." I have unashamedly worn the label most of my life. But no longer. I don't want to be associated with those who claim to be Christian but do not reflect the spirit or life of Jesus.

I want to be known as a follower of Jesus, a disciple.