What is a typical Christian?

What is a typical Christian? What is a typical anything, for that matter? The word ‘typical’ reflects an average behavior, trait, characteristic, attitude, or label placed on someone who fits the mold. By nature, most of us measure a person by how they act or present themselves. The behavior is instilled into us at a young age. Our life circumstances and upbringing play a distinct role in many of the choices we make in life and how we treat others.

Whether or not we like it, others will label us as well. That is just part of being human. I wrote the book ‘A Typical Christian’ to reflect on my life and how I felt about what it means to be a Christian. The book is intended to be a conversation starter among all types of people with different backgrounds. I ended up writing the book I wanted to read because I could not find one of substance that addressed issues that were important to me.

Having claimed my faith at a young age, I have seen many Christians come and go in my life. Many people have been great examples to me, while others have made me question what team they are on. As with anything, you will become annoyed by people at some point in your life. You will label their behavior and try to separate it from yours. You will look at the other person with repulsion and decide to categorize them. One day, you will realize that both of you are lumped together by someone else. They call you both the ‘typical Christian.’ Much to your shock and horror, you find yourself in the same compartment being labeled by another.

A typical Christian stereotype.

I have found myself in the ‘typical Christian’ camp for most of my life. When I say found, I mean I finally found out that I was just like everyone else, who I compartmentalized by being lumped by someone else. Yes, I know that is confusing. Think of it like this. Take a handful of multicolored jellybeans and look at them. They are all the same size, shape, and characteristics. But the flavor of everyone is different. Someone looking across the room points out that the candy is all the same; they are just jellybeans. They claim they taste terrible when you throw a handful in your mouth. You adamantly point out to them that, no, actually, they are all different jellybeans with different flavors. Some have a better flavor and leave a different taste in your mouth. If you consume them together, they may taste the same every time. But if you eat them individually, they will taste completely different.

Just like the jellybeans, Christians come in different flavors. Someone who doesn’t sample the flavors individually will tell you they are all the same. They won’t even go near them because their previous experience was bad. This mindset is when the term ‘typical Christian’ comes into play. People attach their emotions and opinions to life experiences. This behavior often leads to flawed truths that are built off of feelings. A negative experience for this person has tainted the entire relationship with the Church. Their encounter was like throwing in a handful of sour jellybeans with the good ones and spoiling the whole experience.

One of the most important things we can do as Christians is bear good fruit. Read John 15 to familiarize yourself with the term ‘bearing fruit.’ Like the jellybeans, each having a uniquely different flavor, Christians will also have a different flavor depending on the fruit they bear. Some of that fruit is rotten and tastes terrible. Other fruit is sweet and favorable to the palette.

Christians should be able to separate and identify the two different types of fruits and flavors of the soul. Skeptics cannot differentiate between the two and lump all fruit into the same category because of their lack of faith. A typical Christian book seeks to identify and separate the wheat from the chaff, giving non-believers insight into understanding what makes a Christian a Christian. In this book, I demonstrate that we all fall short of perfection and struggle in our journey through life. Just because someone had one bad experience does not mean their next experience will be the same.

So that Christians break the stereotypes, it is essential to separate Biblical sins and truths in our lives and within the Church. The measure that the world often witnesses from the Christian community is one thumb on the scale. A facade of perfection with a hidden contempt for truth in love towards the world is how many see the typical Christian. The confusion caused by the Christian community has repulsed many while, at the same time, saving many souls as well.
A typical Christian book seeks to break the mold of how the world sees Christianity through its secular lenses. Uncomfortable conversations within the Church walls will be brought to light when a typical Christian is exposed. A bridge will be built, and walls will be torn down when the fruit produced is sweet, not rotten. It is time to turn the derogatory phrase of a typical Christian into a positive one.