What does it mean to be a Christian?

We are informed in the book of Acts 11:26 that the followers of Jesus were called "Christians for the first time."  Prior to that, they were referred to as "believers" or those of "the way." So now, I invite you, the reader to ponder on the meaning of the term "Christian."

Some have thrown this term around haphazardly, not even bothering to reflect on the reason why it came to be used in the first place.  They also ignore the implication of the term, since it carries a lot of responsibility in terms of living out the life of a believer in Jesus the Christ.

Some have defined the term "Christian" in its most basic sense, i.e. one who believes in Christ.  Others have defined it in terms of being affiliated with their particular church or brand of Christianity.  So far example, one person would say that being a Christian means to be Protestant of a conservative or evangelical persuasion.  Another person would use the term "Christian" to mean one who is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, or one of the Eastern Orthodox churches. I heard of a case in which a certain person was asked if she was a Christian, to which she responded "No, I'm Pentecostal."  I've also heard ex-Catholics saying "I used to be Catholic, and now I'm Christian." For these persons, the term "Christian" is used to identify those are affiliated with their particular faith community, or at the very least, the doctrinal stance of that community.

In the church that I grew up in Staten Island, New York, a "Christian" was one who "accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior" of her/his life, and then subsequently began to refrain from certain things such as dancing, drinking, mixed bathing, and smoking.  In addition to that, there were certain dress and personal appearance codes that the "Christian" was expected to adhere to.  Examples of this would be that women were not to cut or trim their hair, wear slacks, or use excessive jewelry (anything other than a  clock or a watch).  Men were expected not to have a beard or long hair. Attendance at the theater was a "no-no," because it was considered "the seat of the ungodly." Mixed bathing and dancing were prohibited because it was believed that this type of blending would result in the arousal of sexual passions leading to sexual immorality.  In retrospect, I tend to think that a lot these rules were really rooted in certain "hang ups' that people had regarding their own sexuality. It is very true that the Scriptures were used to support these codes and rules, but an honest and thorough examination of those Scripture passages will demonstrate and reveal that the writers of Scripture were not even thinking of these things when they wrote.  It was really a case of reading those passages through the prism of the cultural baggage of the reader.

So we go back then to the question of what does it mean to be a Christian?  The early followers of Jesus were referred to as "Christians" not only because they had put their trust in Jesus, but also because they followed and promoted His teachings.  Early Christianity was not an organized religion. It was more of a movement of people who had experienced God's liberating act through Jesus of Nazareth, and who in turn promoted and spread the movement.  There is no indication whatsoever in the New Testament that their Christianity was defined by the codes that have been described above. As a matter of fact, we have no indication whatsoever in the New Testament that these codes even existed in the early Church.  The first followers of Jesus were called "Christians" because they followed Jesus's example of meeting the needs of the community in which they lived.

One cannot claim to be a "Christian" if he/she is not committed to the task of God's liberating, redemptive, and salvific activity in the world.  We cannot isolate or shelter ourselves from the world of pain and suffering and still consider ourselves "Christians."  We cannot see Jesus if we do not seem him in the eyes of the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the unemployed, the underemployed, the person who in financial desperation resorts to committing crime, the alcoholic, the drug addict, the derelict, the undocumented immigrants, etc.  Have we seen Jesus today? If we have not been in solidarity with this sector of humanity, we have not seen Jesus and cannot afford to in all good conscience bear the name "Christian."  We might refrain as many non-Christians do from cursing,drinking, and smoking, but if we have not seen Jesus in the eyes of broken humanity we've missed the boat.

In the Name of the Creator, and of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona

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