Radically Happy

Hat tip to Anathem.

Acts 24:14: I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to The Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets…

Today is the day
It seems to me
I must take a new
Identity

To be a “Christian”
Has become a crutch
Though I still love
That old word so much

But there is a term
Which has prior claim
So from this day on
I will bear that name

“The Way of Christ”
One: Self to deny
And bear my cross
‘Til with Him I die

Two: Love my Others
As He has loved me
Three: Sacrifice all
To build unity

This is my purpose
My call and my creed
And I dare say
Is all that we need

---

Reflection

My core thesis is that the term “Christianity” has become mostly indistinguishable from “Christendom” — the political philosophy that ruled from Constantine to Nietzsche. While vastly preferable to the alternatives, Christendom is not actually The Gospel, and the time has come for me to stop pretending and make my allegiance clear.

In place of the rather vague term “Jesus-follower”, I am specifically choosing to Follow The Way Of Christ as defined above. The acronym FTWOC is conveniently pronounceable as “foot-wash.” FTWOC-ers who join me are therefore called “foot-washers” in order to highlight the central paradox we must confront: how to lead others without relying on status and authority as “the rulers of the Gentiles do.”

This does raise the awkward question of how to steward society if Christ-lovers refuse to take on the vital-yet-corrupting levers of power. Fortunately, I have a whole ‘nother blog devoted to answering that…

Appendix: How do we identify ourselves?

Hebrew

• Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve
• Descendants of Abraham
• Children of Israel
• Delivered by Moses
• People of the Book
• Worshippers at the Temple

Greek

• Apostles (historical)
• Bishops (positional)
• Christendom (political)
• Christianity (theological)
• Foot-washers (relational)