Wimpy Christians

This Houston Chronicle article is a typical baseball offseason piece. It happens to talk about the Astros courtship of free agent Yankee lefty Andy Pettitte, perhaps the premier left-handed pitcher available. But forget all that stuff. Even die hard baseball fans know that this is a fluff piece.

But there was one paragraph near the end of the article which contained the following quote from future Hall of Famer and former Yankee teammate Roger Clemens:

"Andy's earned the right to be paid like a (Curt) Schilling or a (Pedro) Martinez," Clemens said. "You know what you're getting with him, both as a pitcher and a person. He may be a strong Christian, but put him out there on the mound and he's as tough as anybody."

Yes, I am a Christian. But I have to know, where did this stereotype of Christians being weak-willed and wimpy come from? And Clemens is certainly not alone in the sentiment. You hear this all the time. So I wonder, where does this come from?

Could it be that Jesus Christ is perceived as a wimp? I mean, this is a man that taught that people should love their enemies and neighbors and turn the other cheek when struck. But reading over the Bible, it's clear that Jesus wasn't a wimp. Maybe he wasn't the size of our current governor but he was not afraid of physical persecution, being ostracized, or getting angry when justified (as in the temple with the money changers). He never told people to disregard Caesar - he said that we should respect civil authority.

So if it's not Christ, where did it come from? Perhaps (and this is my thinking on the fly here) the belief comes from the behavior and attitude of today's Christians. Christians are viewed as brainwashing, freakish, and even lemming-like individuals that are intolerant and hypocritical. Frankly, I don't doubt the truth of many of those stereotypes. It's up to today's Christians to reflect the life of Christ and act according to what they believe, demonstrate compassion and love above all, and make a difference in society beyond the walls of the church. Then perhaps, tough Christians won't be thought of as an oxymoron.