Is It Cool In Here, Or Is It Just Me?

I was walking through Hyde Park in Chicago (amazing area and home to Obama) with Dunkin Donuts in my left hand when two good buddies and I started talking. My friend, Ryan, brought up our intermural basketball league in college and how lame our Campus Crusade basketball team's name was, "Cross Court".

I then proceeded to tell Ryan about Christiancheese.com, a website many of you might be familiar with. As we talked, my other friend, Zach, spoke up just enough to bring up how uncomfortable (or at least to a degree) he is when Christians call out other believers not for faith issues, but for being uncool.

It brought about in me the whole "coolness" factor that is going around right now, almost like a cold. I have felt myself the last couple of years really start going the way of coolness. What I mean by that is, when it really comes down to it, I would rather interact with someone who is "cool" and weaker in faith than someone less hipster, less into my interpretation of good music, and stronger in faith. In some ways, I have let the surface stuff undermine the real and important stuff. Have my standards become fad?

what is "cool" anyway? i know that it changes, just look at pictures of chris linebarger in high school (chuckle, chuckle). And because it changes (frequently at that) I can say that it is fleeting, giving little reward after it's gone. I know that it has something to do with elitism as well, cool differentiates people and puts them in seperate groups. It decides where privilege should go. It leads the way and makes money for a whole lot of cool people. I also know that almost everybody dies trying to attain coolness. or maybe i am just projecting.

but to get back on topic, this coolness factor has really done some kind of work in the church. i must say, i do think Christians do some stupid stuff and every year I see more and more cheesy products come out on the market that somehow make money or even more ridiculously, try to increase faith.

with that said, i see myself making small jokes of believers who genuinely are expressing their faith. the source of the ridicule is how they carry themselves, what they decide not to do, what they consider humorous, or what acts they attribute to God's doing. Zach, my uncomfortable friend, really brought me down to earth a little bit. That was all that was needed for my conscience to be pricked. Those few, non-sentence forming words really got my spirit moving. is it me, or are churches really suffering from this coolness thing. its cool to go to certain churches and unpopular to attend the others. it's cool to listen to derek webb and unpopular to listen to the christian radio station that has those billboards with the white family playing in the park having way too much fun. (there i go again, making fun!) Where is the line that seperates idealistic, euro-centeric, capitalistic cheese from raw, biblical faith when idealistic, european americans in an entreupreneurial society head up most of the churches? When is it "cool" to push aside a false sense of being that looks all nice and good but really is just prideful privilege? And when is it "uncool" to do so in fear that you are bashing a fellow believer who has more or less faith than you?

I bring this up because i struggled with being cool for way too long. and i see myself creeping back into wanting that again, but this time it is from an unlikely source, christians. there is nothing wrong with being cool...as long as it doesn't trump the important stuff and it doesn't cause you to section other people off into fashionable=likable groups.

in my mind, derek webb and other cats like him have possibly created a little of this- in a VERY indirect way. i look at derek webb, donald miller, bono, etc. and they have so much to say, and they are doing things about it. they speak loudly but have actions that carry clean water to africans and food to the needy. yet their message falls on ears not as much eager to hear their message of love through action as it is the music and message of rebellion from the uncool and traditional generation of our parents moral jawings. or maybe i am just projecting.

i guess both friends were right. most of the time in these types of matters, we think in extremes. christians need to be able to conversate with people of other religions without wetting themselves or crying, but we must also not persecute Christ's Body of believers because they don't know what's hip or where the closest drinking establishment is. i hope this is all coherent because i know its not cogent. it is a lightly drawn line in christian culture and tough to maneuver around- or maybe i am just projecting.

James 2
"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of Him to who you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged b the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!"