Different
In the mid 1980’s, I decided to dye my ginger hair jet black, as I thought it would be the cool teenager thing to do.
I told my mum and she insisted on helping me do it. I suspect she feared that I would get black dye all over the bathroom! We didn’t tell my dad.
When he arrived home that night and saw my ‘new look’, all he could say was, ‘what on earth have you done?’
After a few months my natural ginger started to come through, and it looked terrible, so I decided to have it all cut off.
I never wanted to just fit in as a teenager, I was happy to experiment with hair colour and clothing. I loved shopping for clothes in charity and more unusual shops. My favourite pair of jeans were black and red stripes.
Being different is sometimes harder than being like those around you. This was certainly true for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
They had been in Egypt for over 400 years, so when God brought them out and wanted to establish them as His people, it was not going to be easy. In the book of Leviticus God said…
“Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practised before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.”
God’s desire for His people was that they would not be like the nations around them, but instead to live a different way, which put God first.
This is still true today. God’s people, known as Christians, are called to live with Him at the centre. This means that Christians aim to live differently, having their values, morals, words and deeds shaped by Jesus.
This difference does not happen immediately, it’s a gradual transformation. This means that Christians and churches and all a ‘work in progress’.
I’m very glad about that, as it means there is space for me, and for you too!
God bless you:)
Gary Bastin
Hope Community Church leader