“How is your relationship with Jesus Christ?” Good? Bad? Non-existent? It’s complicated? Are you close to God or far from Him?
 
We’ve all heard questions such as this, perhaps rolling our eyes at the awkwardness of the question but not being able to diagnose accurately the reason for our uneasiness. In fact, we may fear that questioning such a pious question might seem un-Christian and unbecoming of a person having “a good relationship with Jesus.” This “relationship” language has become the widely accepted way of describing the Christian’s life of faith (or a non-Christian’s lack of it). A “good relationship” with Christ is likely that faith life of the strong Christian. A “bad relationship” is perhaps that faith life of the wandering sheep. A “non-relationship” may refer to that faith-less life of the unbeliever. Despite its common usage, could it be possible that the language of relationship is an unhelpful and unbiblical way of speaking of the Christian’s life of faith? While usually well-intentioned and innocently put forth, might such “relationship” language undermine the full comfort of the gospel and give a false picture of what salvation means for the Christian?

 Even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, honor Christ, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you, with gentleness, and respect.                                                                                             ~1 Peter 3:14-16 excerpts


“I worship the God and Goddess,”said the Celtic pagan. (He was Irish by descent.)  

He set down his cane and slumped into the booth across from us as the train hurtled through some part of late-night Ohio. He was thirty-one, on his way home from visiting his six- year-old daughter in Chicago. Nice guy.