HARDCORE? Or just soft shell?

I was in Home Depot today buying some stuff. There was a man in front of me in line with a ball cap on that read "Hardcore Christian."
I wanted to ask him what it meant, but he was gone to quickly.

so, as usual, I pondered the word...Hardcore.

I have heard the word to describe several things over the years, such as:

Porn
Music
Hunting
Football
Bodybuilding
4 wheeling
Skating
Drug use
and last but not least, now, Christianity.

so what is the line between Christian and hardcore Christian? It seems to me that we get a kick out of adding adjectives to the word Christian, which was given by pagans to begin with, just to make our faith more cool, or mainstream, more vibrant.

Christianity, real Christianity is already hardcore, already radical, already simple, already freakish, already, WWJD, already wide open, already out of the norm. Why do we find it necessary to add adjectives to something already completely outrageous?

I saw a T-shirt from a camp a few years ago that read "extremely saved." is there any other form of Salvation?

using words that are used to describe porn and sports and other things really makes no sense to me. Jesus was the biggest freak and radical rebel who ever lived. But we want to put sandals and a cross necklace on Him, give Him blonde hair and blue eyes and forget words like "eat my flesh" and "take up your cross." and what every you do, do not mention anything about "bearing fruit" or being "cut down and cast into the fire." I call this guy "Mullet Jesus."

but, as usual, we Americanize things. "Normal" Christianity does not seem Hardcore, nor does it seem radical. That is why each summer, youth camps come out with these words that offer a different kind of faith, better, stronger, more real than what the students see at their churches and sadly in their homes.

this is harsh, but if we would back up a bit and analyze the situation, we would see the problem.

we have dumbed down the faith in such a way as to allow the money changers an opportunity to cash in on our lack of vitality and fervor.

Was Jesus radical? Was Jesus hardcore? Most would say yes. And if you compare the words of Jesus to what we hear today, His words are still that way.

so how do we explain to youth, and adults for that matter, why we never adopted Jesus radical and hardcore ways.

Jesus should not be thought of today as a radical, but the beginning of a radical movement. Christianity today should not be thought of as hardcore, but merely the continuation of a hardcore way of life that was introduced 2000 years ago.

but because we have settled for a less than way of life, Christians need to be reminded that we are hardcore and radical...By wearing hats, t-shirts and bumper stickers. This way, people can read it and we don't have to say anything.

no doubt this will anger a few. It hit a nerve with me. But hard core Faith is more than a membership. More than a slogan. It looks more like someone taking food to the homeless, selling everything and moving to the mission field, helping someone who we are less likely to help, getting our hands dirty when we don't want to, going out of our way to make the unlikely feel loved.

I look for opportunities like that more than I used to. I used to be stuck up and full of my self. Using service opportunities to pat myself on the back, lift myself up in my own eyes. Pride has brought me to my knees. It has not been a pleasant journey.

I think it was James who said something about true religion and orphans and widows and prisoners. If we focused more on the "poor" Jesus read about in Isaiah and less about the people of status so we can keep our buildings open...We might have a revival in this country.

"The least we can do", as I remember hearing a friend say, "is what Paul did. He gave his life for his faith." somewhere along the line, it turned into a choice. I can see the signs now...

Hardcore to the left, this line will include missionaries, and those willing to loose it all to gain it all, but the road will be hard, you will see Jesus as most do not, and it will be a difficult road. Softshells to the right, this line will include those who want a relationship with Jesus, but are not really interested in Him changing much, only offering success and comfort. We have room for both...No pushing please...There is plenty of room.

I fear I may have chosen one while wanting the other.