PEDDLING MILQUE TOAST CHRISTIANITY TO YOUTH WHO NEED MORE
– M. LaClair
I want to use your house telephone to call my parents in Arizona,” called the strange youth from across the road.
“Yeah, sure, are you crazy or what?”, I replied in a friendly echo.
The event was a large gathering of questionable young people who had come to town for an equally questionable rock concert. We had erected Christian witness signs in our own yard sandwiched between the farm field used for overflow parking and the event itself. The youth was shouting at me from across the street. I think you get the picture here. He added, “You have to let me because you are a Christian.” He had a group of observers and he was obviously taunting me. Standing in our yard we were guarding our tool barn and people-watching the group.
“Just because one declares Christianity doesn’t make one a doormat for you or anybody else, don’t even think about ordering me around, who do you think you are?” I said in a manner to be heard the distance.
“You’re supposed to help me – give me anything I want,” he yelled carelessly. His observers were silent.
Too often we let Christianity be defined by non Christians. How unwise!
With firm conviction, this time I shouted back across the street, both to him and to his observers, “WHEN I BECAME A CHRISTIAN I WAS GIVEN THE FREEDOM TO SAY “NO” TO A LOT OF THINGS, AND I’M SAYING IT TO YOU NOW BUDDY, SO HIT THE ROAD!”
How strangely silent he was. He didn’t expect that kind of reply and his observers cheered me boisterously while playfully slapping their friend around! His group moved on, except for a few who hung back.
In moderate tones this is what I heard three or four others say to each other “Now THAT is a type of Christianity I could go for,” as they kicked stones and contemplated what was said. “I wish that lady lived near our town, I’d like to talk with her at length some time.” “Yeah, I’d probably go with ‘ya. Look we’re losing them, come on, let’s get movin’ if we loose ‘em in this huge crowd we might never find ‘em. Let’s go.”
Christ makes us strong; not to peddle milque toast Christianity to our youth. Selah!
Look, Listen & Think 