Being a crazy person

There's nothing wrong with proclaiming the truth, despite what laws of questionable Constitutional merit may say.

This post was inspired by a shirt.

It just so happens that it’s been about a year since we saw Casting Crowns at its most recent appearance here in Salisbury at our Civic Center. Among the merch they sold was a shirt which was very understated about being a Casting Crowns shirt but was inspired by their song Crazy People. I just liked the tie-dye look so I bought it instead of the usual tour t-shirt.

I’ve probably worn it about three or four times since I got it because it’s a comfy shirt in cooler spring/fall weather, conditions like last weekend. (I have worn it to a couple Shorebirds games, too, so I’m not shy about wearing it in public.) But in saying that I’m one of those crazy people, it also cites Romans 1:16, and that’s the lead into the real purpose of this post.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation for every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

Now this shirt isn’t saying I’m perfect, just that I’m a believer. And it’s probably just sly enough to get through the radar of secular folks that lights up every time they see a message that’s religious in nature and invites derision, sort of like the reaction to the rainbow-haired dude that used to wear the “John 3:16” shirt and get front-row end zone tickets behind the goalposts at all the big football games. His story is a good reminder that it’s also important to act the part.

This is the part where I bend my narrative slightly because there’s another issue at play. In recent days we have seen a dramatic uptick in stories involving believers who have become entangled with the FBI - first the case of Mark Houck, where it’s alleged over a dozen FBI agents came to his door with guns raised to make a simple arrest, then the indictment of eleven pro-life activists for the “crime” of blocking a door to an abortion clinic. (One of them, Cal Zastrow, is a social media friend of mine so I know he’s no stranger to the court system on similar charges.) On the other hand, that same FACE Act can be used in the other direction but insofar as I know this Justice Department has not vigorously pursued those who interrupt church services or vandalize pro-life pregnancy centers.

So the question has to be asked: since the Supreme Court has determined that abortion is not a right, can these people be charged with what essentially is now a moot question of violating one’s civil rights? Maybe it’s a good thing for them that I didn’t get called into federal grand jury service because FACE is one statute that demands some sort of nullification. (While Houck would be part of my Third Circuit being in Pennsylvania, I don’t think a Delaware federal grand jury looks at cases outside the state.)

Yet this recent series of events can be a leading indicator of a revival as well. Have you ever noticed that some of the most devout worshippers and committed missionaries are those found in places where just practicing religion of any sort is punishable by prison or death? We have Christians in places like China, Africa, and the Middle East who soldier on with their faith despite knowing that they may not see the sun come up the next day, much like the martyrs who defied the Romans back at the birth of Christianity.

Perhaps the dirty little secret to how Christianity has survived various attacks by the Romans, Muslims, kings, and communists is that our faith is stronger than our enemy. They just have to know we’re not really afraid of them.

Since I became saved and joined our church, I’ve always been inspired by the sign at the front door that says, “You are now entering the mission field.” (I believe the verses cited are those at the very end of the Gospel of Matthew.) So I’ll keep wearing this shirt every once in awhile because why hide the light under a bushel?

It’s not my lot to be a missionary in the classical sense like Paul, but I do believe there’s nothing wrong with using this Substack on occasions like this as a missionary field. Being a Christian is not a crime, nor is spreading the Gospel. Part of my job here is to keep it that way.

Postscript: In thinking about it, perhaps my role in all this is to prepare the ground for the harvest to come. Someone has to make sure the conditions are right so that the seeds don’t fall by the wayside, in the thorns, or the stony ground. If that’s where I can lend my talent to our Lord, so shall it be.