I'm a Christian.

There are some people today, as there have always been, who would say instead 'so-called' Christian. They establish rules for who is in and who is out, often based on belief in the inerrancy of the Bible or on membership in a particular church. All too often in this country, afraid of being identified with the likes of Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, liberal protestants such as myself have shied away from calling ourselves 'Chrstians' in public. Instead, we tell them what denomination we belong to, or fail to talk about our religion at all. In so doing, we give credence to their definition of what it means to be a Christian.

But a Christian is not one who believes every word in the Bible, or who interprets the Bible in just the right way. A Christian is not someone who belongs to the "right" church. A Christian is simply someone who follows Jesus. It is time we reclaimed the name 'Christian' for ourselves, and reclaimed the name of Christ from derision.

To me, following Jesus means taking what He said seriously. It means believing Him when he says 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' and 'Judge not, lest ye also be judged.' It means understanding that no one is righteous enough that Jesus would not be able to look at him or her and tell them how to do better. It means striving to do your very best, while realizing how far short your very best is of perfection. This is not an easy message.

Yet in Christ's message there is also grace. There is nothing we can do to deserve this grace. There are no magical words we can chant, intone, or pray that will force God to give us grace. Rather, it flows freely as a result of God's love for us, just as our desire to do good flows from our love for God and for our fellow man. There is no quid pro quo.

God loves you. God loves me. God loves everyone. And we should love God and eachother. That is the message of the gospel, and I fall short constantly.

Here are some links to some sites that have strengthened me in faith:

• Sojourners is an organization dedicated to living a Christlike life. They publish a magazine which you can buy on the newsstand, but they make it available on their website for free-- which is remarkably consistent with their philosophy. I don't always agree with their politics, but these folks seem to be really living their faith.
• Anglicans Online serves the Anglican community, which includes the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the United States, and others.
• Louie Crew is a gay man who has been ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church. His web page is a valuable source of links to information, especially about controversies in the Episcopal church.
• I attend Church is St. Mark's Church, in Alexandria, Virginia. My wife Anne maintains their web page.

May God bless you.

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