A mad man goes off the rails, slaughters dozens of people and the media describe him as a conservative or fundamental Christian. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard or read that statement. Now I know how moderate Muslims feel when terrorists are identified as Muslims.
But in reality, Anders Behring Breivik, referred to himself as a cultural Christian, and didn’t consider himself a religious Christian which he felt entailed having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, something he didn’t claim. Whatever type of Christian he may have claimed to have been, he certainly wasn’t a Christ Follower.
A Christ Follower is one who follows Christ and I would assume that a Fundamentalist Christ Follower would be one who followed the fundamentals of Christ. And what are the fundamentals of Christ? Love your enemy, forgive 7 x 70 and seek first the Kingdom of God. There is nothing there about blowing up government buildings or shooting children.
What about our lives? Do we follow the fundamentals of Christ’s teachings? And if not, can we truthfully refer to ourselves as Christ followers? And if you’re not 100% sure what the fundamentals are then maybe it’s time to read the Gospels again, or for the first time. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.