Thursday, February 02, 2017

Why Am I Embarrassed to Be A Christian


Why Am I Embarrassed to Say That I Am A Christian


For YMI Jan 2017.
(This is the unedited draft before the editing process)






Colleague: “I heard things about XYZ Company. It shouldn’t be so Christian, they should hire secularly, like the rest of the sector.”
Me: “Yea, I heard those things myself, and I was a former employee there. I do understand why they do certain things though.”
Colleague: “Correct right? They shouldn’t be so Christian. Then how did they hire you? You’re not Christian right?”
Me: “Actually I am.”
Colleague: “Oh.”
Me: “Yea.”
*End of Conversation. Goes back to our work awkwardly.*


Just last week this was my actual conversation with a colleague. “How apt.” I thought, since I was gonna write this article on being embarrassed to say that I am a Christian.
Being from a family of church-goers, and attending a mission school for 10 years of my life, I am the stereotypical church kid. As a child I not only attended one church, but I actually attended two each Sundays. Then in my teens, I spent every other day travelling for an hour and a half to spend time with my youth peers and youth church staff. My Saturdays in church youth ministry began early at 7am and usually ended past 11pm. At 17, my energy seemed boundless and having relatively more freedom than a child, I literally spent most of my Saturdays talking to people, attending classes, being a crew for children Boys & Girls Brigade Company, being visual crew, crafting out discussion plans and more. Besides, I was heavily involved in para-church activities on campus, and even worked in a parachurch organization.

Yet when I was with my classmates or when I began to be in the workforce, I would be really embarrassed to say that I am a Christian. Usually my English name, a name of a famous Pharisee, being a rather rare name, would become an icebreaker and people would ask the origins of my name where I’ll sheepishly tell them it’s from the bible.

That’s where one of those awkward “oh.” moments would arise, usually preceding an abrupt conversation end, or an equally abrupt change of topic.

I always admire my friends who met Christ, heard His word, received with joy and converted, where their lives are shining, exemplary examples of how Christ redeems their lives and they are usually the ones who daringly proclaim that they are Christian, in spite of their circumstance or persecution. A friend started a company and christened his company “Salt & Light”. I was amazed! It was something I would not do for fear of further tarnishing the name of Christ and Christians in my city. “What if the company mess up, and people will see and scoff again about Christians and their companies?”.
His response: “Nothing to hide”.
And that episode taught me the true meaning of being Salt and Light.
It was an identity issue. When Jesus preached this on His famous sermon on the mount,

Matthew5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[b] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

In Him, he gave our identity as “salt” and “light”. That the essence of salt and light is not that we attain those, but that he has made us to ‘become’ salt and light.
Why then was I always embarrassed to be a Christian? In my language, “why am I always so pai-sae to say that I’m Christian?”

There are probable reasons why we remain incognito Christians.

First, we probably know we are not living up to how a Christian should be.
We know that we are not being truly Salt and truly Light in our families or schools or workplaces.  We know that we are called by Him to be His Lights, shining like stars in the dark sky. But when we look at our own behavior, our own conduct, reality is not congruent with what should be. Our families and colleagues are the ones who see us most often in a day. And they see many aspects of your life. Knowing that the light is not shining bright from you, makes us ashamed to declare that we are Christian to our watching, non-christian colleagues and family.

Second, we probably want to give ourselves permission to compromise and set a lower standard to fit in. Other times, in those flashes of fleshy weakness, we do not want to disclose that we are Christian for fear that we must constantly be on top form, and have to behave in a goody-two-shoes manner all the time. There are times our fleshy side wins the Spirit within us and we do the things we do not want to do. So we do not tell the world that we are Christian just so that we can give ourselves that allowance to not be on top form.


Third, we probably dare not risk being distinctive.
We know what Jesus says about being Salt and Light. But in daring to be so, a lot of our actions come into scrutiny into His light. Not just about being a good worker or family member or friend, but life-giving, distinct and perpetually sacrificing. That was Jesus’ model.

We then realise that being Salt and Light affects not only what you avoid doing, but also what you do proactively.

What you do or do not do has to stem from that identity Christ given us.
I do realise that when you choose to be unashamed and declare upfront that you are indeed a Christian, it makes it easier to live from that identity – Salt and Light. But of course, in John 15-16, Jesus does warn us, that it will come with a cost. Being a Christian literally means to be Christ’s ones.
This identity of Salt and Light, requires courage. Immense amount of courage. Will you join me in being less embarrassed to be Christ’s ones?