Something happened at my sons' leaving graduation ceremony yesterday...and it's got me thinking.

I'm sitting with the very lovely Mrs B, and watching my son and his school year share stories, sing songs, read out a poem and offer thoughts about their previous year in 'Primary' school. Since this was my sons final year in Primary education, some of his friends were sharing about what it was like to have spent the last 6 years at one school. It was very moving, very funny, and very poignant at times.

Toward the end of the hour-long ceremony each child was to walk to front, one-by-one and receive a bible, a year photo and a 'Certificate of Achievement'. So, one at a time, we watched each child stand, walk to the front, shake the Headmistress' hand, receive their goodies, then sit back down. We shed a tear when the others cried, we smiled when the children showed clear excitement in receiving their goodies, and then beamed from ear to ear when our son, Lewie, stood to receive his photo, certificate and the 'well done' handshake.

Then something completely unexpected happened...

Towards the end of the ceremony a small, rather plump and (dare I say it) geeky-looking kid stood up. He walked slowly to the side of the other children, started moving around to the front of the stage....then spun round and moon-walked to the headmistress (I'm not even making this up!). This out-of-place kid did something that I dont think will ever leave me.

It was in that moment he encapsulated for me what it means to live a life for Christ.

If you're anything like me, you spent a fair bit of your walk with God trying to either fit in or make Jesus relevant to the people living and working around you. You've maybe stopped yourself from using cliche, Christian phrases in order to make Christianity seem less wierd than you think people see it. You've tried to be cool AND Christian at the same time...something few of us actually achieve deliberately!!

You've maybe quietened down certain aspects of doctrine in order to not offend friends, family and colleagues. You've tried to make Jesus a 'one size fits all' character, and if you've done any of this you've realised how futile it is!

It was in the moon-walking schoolchild that I realised living for Jesus means that I'll never fit into culture, and will probably never make Jesus 'cool'. Why is this? Well, I think it's because Jesus was never relevant or cool...because he never came to be such. Jesus knew that his life and his example wouldn't be accepted by the majority of the people. He was ok with that, and so should we be! 

I think John 15 says it best:

"If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

It took me a long time to get over the fact that not everyone would like me...even less people would like me because I was a Christian. They would see me as arrogant, bigoted and narrow-minded. I think it's because Jesus came across the same way. However, it's so vitally important that we understand the implications of this.

Yes, it means going against culture and against what the accepted norm is. It will probably mean persecution and ostracisation to some degree, but we hold fast to Jesus because we know the truth of who he is and what he has done. We rejoice in Gods salvation, justification and restoration. We are changed by the Holy Spirit, who has made his home in each and every one of us and, in the way of the Shulamite bride we cry out "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"

Jesus came to bring life, not the latest fad, trend or hip thing. Jesus chose to come to a depraved, sinful world because he knew it was the only way we could be saved by a payment of blood. Does that make him cool? No, not at all. Does it make him relevant? Probably not, because we live in a world that (by and large) doesn't think it's inherantly bad and doesn't need saving. Does it make Jesus hip? Thankfully not, despite the plethora of t-shirts that will try and tell you that He's your homeboy! Jesus came against culture by living against culture. He came and was so very different.

If Jesus and the moonwalking schoolchild can do it, I reckon we can too?