Jonathan Merritt - Conversations Create the Change

Tomorrow, Krissah Williams of the Washington Post will be publishing a story on me and my political views, especially as they pertain to the upcoming election. She is an outstanding and disarming journalist. I have no doubt she'll do a fine job on this piece.

I am convinced, however, that no matter what Krissah says there will be those who will flood me with angry emails. I expect no less from the ironclad partisan types. Those on the left will castigate me for being a close minded fundamentalist who can't let go of the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage. Those on the right will flog me over my more progressive opinions regarding poverty, the war, and the environment. These emails will no doubt provide me with moments of anger and minutes of laughter. As Will Rogers put it, "People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing."

Being attacked from both sides is a good sign you are a centrist. In fact, followers of Christ should expect such treatment. On the one hand, we are told that secularists will always harbor disdain for us (John 15:18-21). On the other hand, we know that the Pharisees...well, let's just say that they were not members of the "Jesus Christ Rocks" Facebook group. Somehow religious aristocrats are always angered by genuine, Gospel-centered living. If you live like Jesus, you will get it from all sides.

So being a hodgepodge, Bible-loving, Gospel-spreading, pro-life, pro-marriage, non-partisan environmentalist with a heart for the poor is fine with me. Jesus didn't fit nicely into any man-made boxes. If I truly try to mirror Him, I should expect no different.