Radicalized Christians

          If you pay attention at all to what’s going on in the world, you have undoubtedly heard the word “radicalized.” Here in the West, and particularly in the United States, we generally hear that word coupled with another, you know, a “radicalized Muslim.” Of course, that term is usually meant to be derogatory, meaning one who has adopted a radical political position which might lead to something as extreme as terrorism. Like it or not, that’s the perception and as someone once said, “Perception is reality.”

          The truth is, being radical doesn’t necessarily mean being something bad. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something radical in and of itself…what the world needs now is a bunch of radicalized Christians. Now before some of you stop reading let me tell you what that doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean a guy standing in front of an American flag in a white shirt and skinny black tie who carries a forty-pound Bible in one hand and an AK-47 in the other. I actually saw a picture like that on Facebook last week. It made me a little weak-kneed.

          No, what I believe we need are some radicalized Christians who are radical lovers, radical healers and radical neighbors. When Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, mind, soul and strength,” He was talking about radical love. When He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” He was talking about radical neighboring. When He reached out and touched outcast lepers and made them well, He was practicing radical healing. Jesus was clearly a radical and when He called us to follow, I believe He was calling us to a radicalized lifestyle.

          Most Christians I know don’t rock the boat much. They’re not very radical. That makes me sad and if God can be sad, I think it makes Him sad too. I know a lot of folks who prefer the middle of the road. Jesus preferred the margins. He ministered to marginal people (prostitutes, tax-collectors and zealots) in marginal ways (coming over for lunch, keeping them from being stoned, and accepting them into His inner circle). That classified as a bona fide radical and eventually got Him killed.

          I’m O.K. with Jesus being a radical and I’m also O.K. with being radicalized by knowing and following Him too. I'm pretty sure that being a Jesus radical has landed me on a Satan’s watch list, maybe even his hit list. I’m O.K. with that too ‘cause that’s just how us radicals roll!