Hello, World!

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

I’ve been thinking about this verse for quite some time now, and I think that we’ve taken it wrongly. Or at least, our approach towards it is not quite accurate.

For a lot of Christian groups, the verse means that we should steer clear of the world completely. This means that while we interact with the others, that is, “secular” people, we make a conscious effort to not be like them. Since we’re already renewed, shouldn’t we be acting differently, making it a point to be different from who they are?

For some time, I actually prescribed to that line of thought. After all, the verse did say, “Do not conform to this world”, right? Gradually though, I began to challenge that belief. The verse doesn’t end there. It says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The implication is, if you really try and get to know God, and He reveals Himself to you, then being in Him would mean transformation. It’s not so much that you separate yourself from the rest of humanity, but that you immerse yourself in the Lord. How can you live out the Grand Commission (making disciples of all nations) when you separate yourself from the other people? Are you just going to stick to that little niche of yours for the rest of your life, because we think that what is outside of that is the “big, bad world”?

What I’m getting at here is, as Christians, maybe we should change the way we think. If we really are in the Lord, we have nothing to fear about being corrupted. Jesus already died on the Cross and gave His Spirit. He’s with us. Are we that afraid to be contaminated? Not only is that selfish, but it implies lack of trust. Are we that insecure of His love for us? Are we that self-centered that we would disregard any possible people we might bring into the kingdom for the sake of preserving our souls?

It’s this sense of self-preservation that puts Christians in hot water. We focus on ourselves too much that we don’t realize how much damage we’re doing to the name of Jesus. Think carefully: can you think of someone who’s technically “secular”, but in reality is doing more good than self-proclaimed Christians? If you’re honest to yourself, you’d probably say yes, because there are a lot of good people out there who are not necessarily believers. You know why? Because they’re not afraid to put themselves on the line for other people, as opposed to those who say they follow Jesus but look too much on possible effects a situation might have on them that they end up not doing anything at all. Honestly, if in your heart, you know that it’s the will of God, then go with it! Things don’t always have to go by the book to be seen as “right” or “good.” That would be legalistic, and completely pointless, because faith is all about grace and not necessarily doctrine.

This kind of thinking is not just selfish, it’s also arrogant. Honestly, the reason why a lot of people look at Christians negatively is because of the air of self-righteousness. “Oh, I can’t associate with him, he smokes!” “Oh, I can’t spend too much time with her, she parties a lot and drinks!” Please. Get off your high horse! Just because someone’s different from you doesn’t mean that they have no rights! I loved the sermon given last Sunday. The priest talked about human dignity, that no matter who someone is, s/he deserves love and respect. And no, that’s not a worldly way of looking at it. Never forget that Jesus died for each and every one of us. It is not only for those who are in church, but especially for those who are not part of it. He came for those who are sick, not those who are well (Mk 2:17). If God didn’t care for those who haven’t come to know Him, then why is He willing to leave His flock in search for a single missing lamb? This is who God is. He is not organizations- or institutions-based, but focused on the well-being of His people, no matter what their relationship with Him is.

When you get down to it, this kind of thinking is damaging. Categorizing between the “holy ones” and the “secular people” is a big no-no. We have no right to classify which is good and which is bad, because all of us are under the power of grace. All of us are sinners who are dependent on the goodwill of God. Remove the labels. Take away the bigotry and the self-righteousness. Throw away the garbage.

This is when genuine love comes in, not only because you embrace everyone for who they are, including their flaws and imperfections, but also, that you see them and everything else in the light of God’s love. With this, we become less smitten with what appears on the surface level, but on what’s happening inside, to the core. Where everything becomes meaningful, and, in its own special way, beautiful.