It was Malcolm Muggeridge who said-
"One of the greatest attractions of Christianity to me is its sheer
absurdity. I love all those crazy sayings in the New Testament-which,
incidentally, turn out to be literally true-about how fools and illiterates and
children understand what Jesus was talking about better than the wise, the
learned, and the venerable; about how the poor; not the rich, are blessed, the
meek, not the arrogant, inherit the earth, and the pure in heart, not the
strong in mind, see God."
Muggeridge is right; Christianity is absurd. It is backwards and
against the grain. Christianity, as Muggeridge points out, goes
counterclockwise when we compare it to this world. It is almost as though
Christianity was from another culture, or another world. Perhaps that is
exactly why Christianity is so crazy: it is from another world.
It is that very point that the writer of Hebrews makes. Before
launching into a list of heroes of the faithful, the writer gives the reason
why these people were so spectacular in their faith. Each one had gone against
the grain, or counterclockwise to the ways of this world, and they did so
because they were the citizens of another world.
These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of
them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. For those who say such things declare plainly
that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country
from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But
now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews
11:13-16
Citezens of another world- that is what a Christian is. And, just like the customs of nations differ from one another here on earth, so to do the customs of that nation Christians belong to differ from the customs of this world. The Christian faith will always seem odd and crazy her on earth, but not there in that city to come. Set your hope on your Home to come where your oddness of today will be normal there.
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