What makes us Christian? Very many think of being Christian as an identity that needs to be safeguarded. It is something that we need to "protect" and "uphold" from all the rest of the peoples. By being apart we preserve and show ourselves as Christians. But that's the most unchristian thing to think and do!
Being a Christian does not mean to be standing apart or worse, above others. The yeast does not make any impact on the dough if it says to itself, "I'm not going to mingle with that un-yeast! My identity is something higher than this dough and therefore I need to stand above the dough!" Such a yeast is as good as absent! For the yeast to leaven the dough, it needs to be mixed well with the latter. Spread well, and because it mixes with it, the yeast by its mere presence does what it does best - transform the dough! In the process the yeast is not too worried about safeguarding its identity. The presence of the yeast is easily noticed by the everyone once the bread is baked and ready. Once baked, there is neither yeast, nor dough!
As Christians, we are called to be the yeast. Our presence is meaningful and worth the name, only when we, being Christ-like, live for God and others. If we are to live purely for ourselves, holding the placard of 'Christians' at a distance from others, we surely will survive but deprive ourselves of Christ. Imagine what Christians would be without Christ! Not too hard to, just imagine what bread would be without yeast!
Being a Christian does not mean to be standing apart or worse, above others. The yeast does not make any impact on the dough if it says to itself, "I'm not going to mingle with that un-yeast! My identity is something higher than this dough and therefore I need to stand above the dough!" Such a yeast is as good as absent! For the yeast to leaven the dough, it needs to be mixed well with the latter. Spread well, and because it mixes with it, the yeast by its mere presence does what it does best - transform the dough! In the process the yeast is not too worried about safeguarding its identity. The presence of the yeast is easily noticed by the everyone once the bread is baked and ready. Once baked, there is neither yeast, nor dough!
As Christians, we are called to be the yeast. Our presence is meaningful and worth the name, only when we, being Christ-like, live for God and others. If we are to live purely for ourselves, holding the placard of 'Christians' at a distance from others, we surely will survive but deprive ourselves of Christ. Imagine what Christians would be without Christ! Not too hard to, just imagine what bread would be without yeast!
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