kerravonsen: from "The Passion", Christ's head with crown of thorns: "Love" (Christ)
[personal profile] kerravonsen
Yesterday, I was reading Who Gets To Be a Geek? Anyone Who Wants to Be and the following passage struck me:
Many people believe geekdom is defined by a love of a thing, but I think — and my experience of geekdom bears on this thinking — that the true sign of a geek is a delight in sharing a thing. It’s the major difference between a geek and a hipster, you know: When a hipster sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say “Oh, crap, now the wrong people like the thing I love.” When a geek sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say “ZOMG YOU LOVE WHAT I LOVE COME WITH ME AND LET US LOVE IT TOGETHER.”


I thought, I am a geek for Christ.

There's one other Christian at my place of work. When I found out he was a Christian, I didn't ask him what denomination he was, I didn't interrogate him on his doctrine, I didn't try to figure out whether he was "sound". I was simply happy to find a fellow in Christ. (No, I didn't go ALLCAPS on him, but then we were at work and it wouldn't have been appropriate.)

If someone says they're a Christian, they're a Christian. There's only one person in the universe who can declare them not to be a Christian, and since my name isn't Jesus Christ, I'm not that person!

I've seen multiple definitions of what a hipster is, so I've just ended up being more confused. But one thing that seems clear to me: a hipster is all about being cool.
And, IMNSHO, wanting to be seen as cool is a sign of immaturity.

Hipster Christians (if I may coin a phrase) have a reaction "Oh crap, now the wrong people like the thing I love." They want to keep out the riff-raff, only they call it "unsound" or "heresy" or "not True Christians". There's only one proper way to love Christ, they say, and that's my way.

Nope. You're a Christian if you say you're a Christian.

That isn't to say that there aren't certain expectations when one has made such a declaration, just as there are certain expectations when someone declares themselves to be a fan of something.
You expect them to know at least the basics of what they've declared themselves a fan of. You expect them to have read/watched/listened-to/played at least some of the canon of the thing they've declared themselves a fan of. Because how could they be a fan of it if they'd never seen it? Or never wanted to see it?

So I kind of expect that someone who calls themselves a Christian would want to read the bible. At least some of it. Because that's the canon.

Mind you, just as fans can argue what is and isn't canon, so can Christians. And have done, and probably still will do until the Second Coming. 8-) Even so, as with fans also, there's a subset of possible-canon that most people agree is canon. A common basis of discussion.

But just as there are different ways of expressing being a geek of something, so there are for Christians. To read the canon. To write meta about it. To write fanfic (midrash) about it. To filk it (only they're called hymns). To make art about it. To perform plays about it. To get together and talk about it. To memorize the canon. To explore the extra-canonical sources.

And you don't get to say that any one of these is more or less "Christian" than the others.
Though "hipster" Christians do want to do that.

You know the final irony of all this? Geeks welcome hipsters, too.

Date: 2012-08-03 02:15 am (UTC)
estirose: Takumi puffing on some tea (Takumi puffs - KR Faiz)
From: [personal profile] estirose
You know, that makes perfect sense. I've been exploring faith and what it means myself as of late, and I never thought to look at it in a geek sense, despite decades in fandom.

Date: 2012-08-03 08:06 am (UTC)
watervole: (Default)
From: [personal profile] watervole
One of the many reasons I love you is because you measure religion by who you include and not who you exclude.

I continually regret the time zones between us.

I was thinking only yesterday that I'd love to phone you and chat, but I looked at the clock and knew you'd be fast asleep (well, I hoped you were fast asleep...)

Date: 2012-08-03 08:59 am (UTC)
watervole: (Default)
From: [personal profile] watervole
It would be lovely to hear from you - if you can't sleep, always know that you're welcome.

Date: 2012-08-03 12:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] izhilzha.livejournal.com
Oh, Kat, oh! This is so perfect, and explains exactly why I rarely have any quarrels between denominations (although I will happily discuss things), and have been in four different ones myself... I am a geek for Christ, too :)

...can I link this on my LJ, for peeps who may not follow you?

Date: 2012-08-03 02:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ericadawn16.livejournal.com
This is very interesting.

My main problem is when people expect all Christians to be the same and to follow their ideals. Then, I end up feeling ostracized because I'm Pro-Choice, in favor of women's rights, an environmentalist and support gay rights.

I had this feeling earlier when I was reading the ChikFila protesters responses like...I love being a Christian but then these people make it seem like I'm not one for not meeting all their expectations.

Date: 2012-08-03 09:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davidbrider.livejournal.com
What unites us is greater than what divides us.

Very, very true. :-)

Date: 2012-08-03 09:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davidbrider.livejournal.com
Then, I end up feeling ostracized because I'm Pro-Choice, in favor of women's rights, an environmentalist and support gay rights.

I can never understand it when people expect Christians *not* to be all those things. I think negativity to environmentalism is mainly a thing amongst US "Religious Right" Christians - certainly over here in the UK, being a Christian and an environmentalist is, whilst probably not the most common thing ever, at least perfectly acceptable.

Date: 2012-08-03 03:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nun-sense.livejournal.com
If this were a petition; I would sign it! And....just a word for ericadawn16......."right on"!

Date: 2012-08-03 05:03 am (UTC)
jedibuttercup: (man of faith)
From: [personal profile] jedibuttercup
*memming* ITA.

Date: 2012-08-03 05:57 am (UTC)
jedibuttercup: (man of faith)
From: [personal profile] jedibuttercup
Shorthand for "I totally agree". =)

Date: 2012-08-03 12:12 pm (UTC)
dreamflower: gandalf at bag end (Default)
From: [personal profile] dreamflower
Really, very well put and a great way to look at an old dilemma in a fresh way!

I myself am slightly to the left of most of my Christian neighbors, yet by their attitudes, I sometimes find myself feeling pushed further to the left than I truly want to be. I often resent being put into a box: "if you don't agree with our politics you can't be a true Christian" and tend to want to disagree with them even more than I actually do.

Thank you for reminding me once more that I do not need to let myself be defined by other people, no matter how well intentioned they are OR how annoying they are. It's a lesson I have to learn over and over again.

(And to remind me to love them in Christ especially when they are at their most annoying.)

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kerravonsen: (Default)
Kathryn A.

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