We find connection to God in many different ways. Some find it in nature. Others find it in the comfort of a friend. Each of these is actually found in nearly every religion. So what is unique to Christianity? I think it is in many of the strange ways which we proclaim we encounter God.Sure it's nice to be set at peace, or to be spiritually or emotionally uplifted at something beautiful or great, but that's not Christian. To be Christian, we proclaim Christ and him crucified. To be tied to the one who died, we speak of the presence of God in our absolute failures. Think of it this way: most short speeches after winning the super bowl or an Emmy starts with "I'd like to thank God." Is that Christ crucified? No, but when God takes the worst of who we are and grows something beautiful, that is.
God did not pick the cream of the crop to proclaim the Good News, God picked a murderer and Christian torturer. God did not pick the top athletes to preach the Gospel, God picked you and me. God did not pick perfection to show what great things can be done, God picked brokenness and ugliness. When we encounter the worst the world has to offer, it is there that we find Christ making all things (not just the best things) new.
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