“But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. - Luke 6: 27
I once heard a story about an "Easter Chicken." A cute little chick was given to a child on Easter. The chick had been dyed some bright color. After Easter, when the chick's novelty had worn off, it was tossed into the chicken coop with the rest of the birds. The bigger chickens pecked away mercilessly at the odd, little bird. But after a week or two had passed, the Easter Chicken had grown out its feathers to the point that it was beginning to look like the others. And it had begun to join the fray in the coop, giving as good as it got. Soon it was indistinguishable from the rest.
Most of the time, we who call ourselves "Christian," are a lot like the Easter Chicken. After the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we return to our normal way of doing things and our color fades and we begin to play by the same rules as everyone else. It's hard to tell any real difference. But the world needs Christians to be different, to not be just the same as everyone else. A good start on that path may be to simply listen to Jesus' words and to let them stand. Resist the impulse to explain them away. Let them haunt you and maybe even change you.
Prayer: Save us, good Lord, from fitting in. May our colors never fade away. Amen.
