Batman Christians

i have some free time because i finished what i was working on - i'm not being a total slacker, lol. but this topic has been weighing on my heart so i'm going to begin purging it out of me. this may be an ongoing topic/post.

so yeah...Batman Christians. that's my term for superhuman, superholy, never-experience-any-human-emotions-Christians, my-whole-life-is-one-big-Scripture-passage Christians.

they bother me. a LOT.

i know a few of these. the reason i'm writing this now is because i just had a brief email encounter with a Batman Christian.

let me be clear just to set the tone:

followers of Christ are held to a high standard. we are not to be conformed to this world. the way the world acts/reacts to situations is not how we are to conduct ourselves. we are to be salt unto the earth, let our Light shine so that others might see. if we acted like everyone else, how could we truly call ourselves sanctified, or set apart? there should be noticeable, palpable differences between the born-again redeemed of Christ, and everyone else.

so being a Christ-follower, not only do i believe in this, condone this, encourage this, but i also try my best to practice this.

HOWEVER, i do not believe that being a Christian means that i can't have true, human emotions and feelings. i have to be careful how i act on those emotions - emotions are not to govern my decisions (God governs those), and my emotions are not to cause me to lash out and sin. BUT it is ok for a Christian to cry, to get angry, to yell, to be frustrated, to be depressed, to be hurt, to be vulnerable

too often, church folk wear their superhuman masks and capes, telling the world that because they know the Lord, nothing ever gets them down, nothing ever phases them, nothing ever causes them to cry out in pain, in despair. i don't believe that we are called to wear that mask.

when Jesus was about to be crucified, He wept and cried out to God the Father in Gethsemane, asking if there was any way for God to remove the upcoming horrific occurrences from Him. of course, He then acknowledged that God had total control and that He was surrendering to His will. but nevertheless, Jesus Himself, the Almighty Son of God, King of Kings, was in pain, cried, and was in despair over His impending death.

so why do so many Christians feel as if they can't ever just be...human?

now, i do not condone the practices or attitudes of some who rep Christ but live any old kind of way and do, say, think anything they want, on the premise of "the Lord knows my heart" LOL. some people use their humanity (weakness, desires of the flesh, etc.) as an excuse to just live outright sinful lives. and that is not what i'm talking about. when we commit our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome flesh and weakness, and we are no longer slaves to sin but are slaves to Christ.

but the aspect of humanity that i'm talking about is the raw, vulnerable side. the side that weeps, that cries out in anger, that says, "i feel lonely and depressed," that feels hurt and frustrated with situations and people in their lives. yes, even in our pain and strife, we are to still praise the Lord - He is God no matter where we are, and just being God, He is worthy of praise regardless of our situations. we are not to turn our backs on Him, nor to curse Him or lay down our faith for anything.

but we can still FEEL. i can praise God and trust Him and still allow myself to feel broken, to cry, to yell, to feel desperate. we are not to stay down (Christ = Victory, not defeat), but it's ok to get down sometimes. being a Christian doesn't mean walking around with a great, big holy grin plastered on your face, quoting Scriptures as if every day is rainbows and puppies, and pretending that a walk with Christ means you never fear, never bleed and never hurt.

i know a few Batman Christians that, if their house burned down, their mother died, their dog got ran over, they found out they had cancer, and they got fired all in the same week, they'd still just smile and quote some Scripture and tell the world they are "blessed and highly favored, saved, sanctified, walking in ordered steps and covered in the Blood". (digression: by the way, fellow Christians - when someone asks how you're doing, it doesn't take away from your Christian status to just reply "I'm fine." LOL - quoting every church cliché you've ever learned is not necessary. you are still saved if you just respond with, "I'm good, thanks.") thanks. anyway, when i experience their Superhumanity, i just want to shout, "DON'T YOU EVER FEEL ANYTHING???"

anyway, again, while we are to bless the Lord at ALL times, it is ok to allow yourself to feel the pain of your afflictions, to weep when things crumble, to tell someone that you're hurt, you're angry - it's OK! you don't have to pretend that because you know God, everything is always cool and you're always so strong. let yourself fall apart sometimes. then let God lift you back up.

it's hard for me to relate to Superhumans. because i'm SO not. i will cry in a minute, LOL.

when i'm hurt, i let myself be hurt, i let myself cry, i acknowledge my weakness and my despair, holding on to God's hand all the way and acknowledging His goodness regardless. i can't pretend that because i abide in Jesus and He in me, that all my days are comfortable and sunny. i know that no matter what, He is in control. and i love Him. and i will continue to praise and worship Him. but that doesn't make my storms any less stormy. it doesn't make my tears any less hot and salty. i take comfort in knowing that storms are temporary, and through Christ, i have victory. and i know He will never leave nor forsake me. but in the midst of a trial, i can still feel and express the heartbreak - and that's ok.

it's hard to have Superhuman Batman Christians as friends. here's why:

when i come to you broken, crying, angry, or frustrated, sometimes i need heartfelt empathy, sympathy, compassion. i need to feel like you understand and care about my pain. maybe you can tell me that you've experienced what i am going through and share how you handled it. what i don't always need is for you to give me a bunch of Bible passages to look up later that will help me with my situation, LOL.

yes, the Word of God is LIFE - it's alive, it contains answers to anything you endure, it is to be written on our hearts and i am certainly not discouraging sharing Scriptures with others or meditating on Scriptures for yourself. if more of us would steadily immerse ourselves in His Word, we would have a lot less worry and stress in our situations. and it is mandatory to seek God's Word for comfort, instruction, and guidance.

but when a friend is pouring their guts out to you, sometimes they just need your HUMANness. of course offering a Word is necessary in most cases and can bring light into a dark situation. but sometimes, a friend in pain and in need requires you to not just give "Church answers" - they require warmth and concern, care and understanding. and sometimes, Batman Christian friends have a tendency to make you feel small or wrong for feeling sad or depressed or angry, telling you to just "give it over to the Lord". perhaps they mean well and yes, trust in the Lord with your heart and let Him bear your burdens. but you know...it is neither a sin nor is it a sign of defeat to feel the hurt and weight of your own burdens.

i truly believe that it's important for followers of Christ to be human, to be transparent, to show other believers and the world that we love the Lord, but we still suffer. we are to continue to praise Him in our suffering, but still...show that we suffer. letting the world see us weep, yet still praise God would give God so much glory!! God would get so much more glory from that, than He does from us walking around acting like every day of our lives is a parade.

who are we fronting for?