Good Christians

People in this town are good Christian people..and so goes the remarks we here when talking about select people groups. I'll never forget this one line from the movie "Mississippi Burning". It went something to the effect that the south needed the Klan again and I quote, "good God-fearing Klan." I suppose throughout history people have justified a lot of things as "good Christian" acts. Americans, or at least mid-western Americans, tend to not only want to be Christians, but good christians. The problem is, what in the world does that look like? If there is anything I remain baffled over is that a "good Christian" seems to be a different standard of life in the places I've been. I was driving to the bank this morning recalling some past money difficulties, worried about the fact that could have destroyed my "Good Christian" witness. After all, a good Christian in Claremore OK is that middle aged republican conservative male who has built a nice life for himself and family, pays all of his bills on time and is goods with finance, doesn't curse, drink, or smoke and attends church regualrly. Anything less than this is considered unstable and in need, and if you're not careful...liberal and wrong. Maybe this is a stretch, but I think everyone sees the image I am painting, and probably have felt guilty if we didn't somehow measure up. I know a guy who firmly believes he is doing what God called him to do and has had his car repossessed in the process, can barely meet his bills and sometimes can't, has little or no money in the bank, and is barely skating by, depending only on faith to feed his family for the most part. But as I look into his eyes, I can see the passion for what he is doing. His nature wants more stability, but he says, "God wont release me." Is he a good Christian? I have met people in the Republic of Georgia, pastors in fact who pastor three or four churches at once and still barely scraping by in the face of persecution and constant conflict, under threat of death to their families. Is he a good, wise man? I read about people who give up their livelihood to serve in the depths of poverty, not after they have saved millions of dollars, but abandoned such comfort all for a cause, a cause they believe God would have them do? Are they smart, good Christians? But we are here and that is there. We are we and they are them. We have to live this out culturally, right? Whatever a good Christian is in our "culture", that is what we must strive to be. We are no longer after the image of CHrist then, we are after the traditonal image. In the Bible, that is idolatry. The fact of the matter is, we have to be whatever God is telling us to be, and if scriptural history is true, that often flys in the face of tradition. Sometimes, such life makes no sense to people around us. Perhaps we have to learn to silence critics in the shelter of God's wing. I'm not saying be a rebellious jerk. Goid knows there are are some who seem to be confusing the point. I'm not saying criticize the traditional image, for their are some who are genuinely living out such an image and doing exactly what God is telling them. But be careful we don't box in the image, and God forbid we strive after it. What is a "good Christian" to you? It should be marked by odedience to Him and Him alone. May He someday say," well done, my GOOD and faithful servant!"