I have come to observe the ever growing danger of labelling ones self...
And I am not talking about the tradition positive or negative labels of being good looking or ugly, fat or skinny, cool or a loser. I am talking about those cultural and philosophical labels of left or right, conservative or liberal, trump or hillary...
When I was a kid people used to be really clear on where they stood.
My Dad was a staunch National Party support. Right of centre is the only way. Based on a bygone tradition, that is the direction I should go in as well.
But the world to me looks different then, to now.
Now you can be a conservative with liberal leanings.
Straight but promoting bysexuality.
A radical feminist but posting on Facebook how much you need a man in your life.
Some months ago a group of people protested something called the TPPA. It incensed them so much they marched, they posted hate messages and end of the world as we know it messages on Facebook. Then some of those people got angry when President Trump got elected.
Now here is where it gets sticky. This president they hate got rid of what they hated. And those people went quiet...
The labels didn't work any longer...
Before I upset some of my very passionate and politically polar readers too much, this is my position.
While I have some opinions, my label for my life, philosophy, political, culture and more is so wrapped up in following Jesus - that being a follower of Jesus is the most important to me.
27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28-28 niv
Ideas on left verses right come and go for many over a lifetime.
Positions change very fluidly as life and experience take hold...
But one thing I do is this...I don't spend my time focusing on what label to wear except that I belong to Christ.
He is my label and He is my identity.
Something to think about...
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