Hologram Christians

By Shane Lee

"All the world is just a stage and we are merely players, pretenders and portrayers." This is a line that has Shakespearean origin that's used in a song by the band Rush. When looking at the world from a secular view this statement holds some truths. However we must be careful as Christians not fall into this trap. There are many things that plague the Christian life. A general lack of discipline is one of the worst.

Richard Taylor wrote in the Disciplined Life, "...respectable Christians that would be horrified at the thought of touching liquor, or indulging in gross immorality...are nevertheless undisciplined, and the fatal weakness is unmasked in the day of trial and adversity." There are many who don't do anything "wrong," but they don't do anything "right." Being Christian is a full time job that should not only consume us, but shape who we are. I Thes. 2:4 speaks of how we are here not to please man but God. That is why we are here, to please God.

God despises undisciplined behavior. The story of the prodigal son comes to mind. But that is a little different kind of discipline than what I'm mentioning. I'm not speaking of blowing all our money or living in gluttony. I'm speaking of just not being as good a Christians as we should be. Maybe we should read and study our bibles more. Maybe we should go see the sick and elderly. Maybe we should refrain from laughing at the jokes at school and work that are inappropriate. I don't know what you need to improve in your life and you don't know what I need to improve in mine. But if you think that there is nothing that needs improving you are gravely mistaken.

The title and opening line of this article deals with what occurs when undisciplined behavior continues. That being hypocrisy. Hypocrisy literally means "actor". When we are paying lip service to the Church we are mocking God and that is a serious thing to do. We are to be ambassadors to the world for God and you better believe that the world is watching.

I'd like to relay a story that I'm in no way proud of, but illustrates a good point. Over this last summer I was involved with the remodeling of the K-Mart (now Big K) that I work at. I was on the yellow team, which consisted of three other members and a team leader. I worked 40 hours a week with these four people for ten weeks. So I obviously got to know my fellow yellow team members well. One day I was talking to a guy, who was telling me a story of how as a child had broken something of his fathers. His father became very upset and yelled and cussed at my colleague. Knowing that my father is in church work he said "I doubt you father does that." To which I replied, "Get mad?" "No, I mean I doubt you father cusses." "No one in my family cusses," I retorted rather proud of my Christian home. But the next three words that my co-worker said gave me a sensation that I have never felt before and wish upon none.

"Just you, huh?"

I literally stood speechless long enough that he asked me if I was okay. I can not put into words the emotion I felt at that moment. Sitting at my computer right now typing this, my heart is thumping in my chest. The only thing that comes to mind is when Peter heard the cock crow twice and looked across the garden to see Jesus starring at him. Here I was trying to establish the separation of my household from the world, and he said "Just you huh?". He didn't even think anything of it. He didn't look down on me, he just saw me as one just like him.

I submit to you, that story is a story of a hologram Christian. I didn't even know that I had cussed around him. I don't cuss at home, or church or anything. But I was undisciplined, I was weak, and I fell. I say to you that being undisciplined is the major contributing factor to sin. We can not afford to be "merely players, pretender, and portrayers." Likewise we can not afford to be "Hologram Christians."

Member of Smart Road Church of Christ