I grow more and more distressed by the ambiguity, confusion, corruption, and character of the term “Christian.” Too many folks calling themselves “Christian” don’t line up with my understanding of Christ’s gospel. The recent election cycle and members of the current administration in Washington grieved me deeply. So I am looking for distinction and distance between modern-day USA Christians and serious Christ-followers living their discipleship by Jesus’ teachings. Here are some random thoughts that clarify in my mind:

Christ-followers don’t hate

Christ-followers don’t believe the path to peace emerges from violence, war, and destruction

Christ-followers forgive

Christ-followers not only experience but are conduits for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, mercy, empathy, compassion, sacrifice, fairness, and justice

Christ-followers don’t mock, call names, demean, insult, or humiliate

Christ-followers reject revenge for reconciliation and restoration

Christ-followers respect differences and look for the best in everyone

Christ-followers don’t seek power, control, domination, and hegemony

Christ-followers share God’s unconditional love and unmerited grace with everyone

Christ-followers are secure in their relationship with God and are therefore not defensive, hostile, argumentative, and/or condemnatory

Christ-followers don’t punish, harm, attack, assault, gossip, and/or disrespect

Christ-followers glory in unity and do all in their power to sustain, maintain, and upbuild kin*dom community across all lines, differences, and divisions

Christ-followers are so swept up in the goodness of God that they embody and embrace both traditional Golden Rules: “do not do to another that which you would not have done to you,” and “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

Christ-followers share, even with those deemed “unworthy” (especially)

Christ-followers make sure others have enough to eat, clean water to drink, a safe space in which to live and have security, adequate health care, meaningful employment, and redemptive opportunities to use their gifts and realize their potential

Christ-followers welcome the stranger, the immigrant, the refugee, the asylum seeker, the visitor

I could go on and on, but you get the point. There are a whole lot of so called “Christians” espousing hate, judgment, condemnation, punishment, annihilation, corruption, infidelity, racism, sexism, ethnic bigotry, war, violence, greed, vanity, arrogance, division, and contempt. We need a whole lot fewer of this type “Christian,” and we need a whole lot more Christ-followers.