Here is a video link to the scene from The Matrix where they discuss the blue pill vs the red pill. This is purely to give you some context. If you havent seen the movie this might not make any sense.
Red Pill vs Blue Pill
The first Intervarsity I ever attended was my freshman year. The speaker was Steven Grahmann. He was talking about how non-Christians perceive Christians. He said many people will ask 'What do Christians do for fun? Play the organ? Read a Hymnal?' It was funny and even 4 years later I'm still talking about this little joke. But the reality of it is that it is so true. Many non-Christians don't understand Christians. It can easily make you the center of a joke, or a debate. Some people when the find out I'm a Christian just cant wait to pick apart everything I believe in and disprove it with 'science' and 'fact'. Some people tease me about my 'wasted life'. Some people are tolerant, but distance themselves from me unknowingly.
The fact is sometimes being a Christian is really hard. Not only is being a Christian hard, but being a Christian that's passionate about changing the world can be even harder. At Chapter Camp this year Steven Grahmann spoke again about being 'world changers'. I missed these talks as I was on my honeymoon, and at a friends wedding, but I heard all about them, and was able to pick out some of the wisdom that seemed to be pouring out of these talks.
Steven talked about some 'walls' or barriers that you might hit if you want to be a world changer. Feeling alone, Feeling helpless, Feeling temped to go back to your old life. I could pretty much relate either now or at some point with all of em. It made me think for a second. Why... why is being a Christian so hard.
I got to talking with a friend about some of these walls. Especially the last one. Being tempted to "go back". To just forget this life, return to your old life, for you were better off. I have seen this happen to people. We brought up that character of Cypher from the Matrix. Cypher, had been set free the Matrix. He knew the truth, he knew what was real and what wasn't. But he couldn't do it. Even though he was 'free' he felt more imprisoned than ever. "Why oh Why didn't I take the Blue Pill?" Cypher says at one point, the blue pill meaning passing everything by, and living comfortably in the dark.Cypher wanted to go back. He got tempted with what his old life was like. The pleasures of being ignorant and blind. When it came time to make a choice to either be fully committed to the truth or the Matrix, Cypher chooses the Matrix.
The fact is that there are Christians that relate to Cypher right now. Some people have decided that being a Christian is too hard or they believe in the salvation part, but don't want to get their hands dirty and change the world. I can't let that happen to me. Some people are comfortable living a passive Christian life style. But I strongly believe that we are a generation of world changers. Christians from our generation are total Red Pill People. We aren't ok with 'going back', we aren't ok with living in the dark. We are about changing the world. We are about establishing the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth one stone at a time. As my friend put it "We have tasted the fruit of the Promised Land and we can never go back." Referring to some Old Testament scriptures, about the Isrealites, and the desert etc.
So when the temptation of 'going back' comes up. When your friends tease you about wasting your life. When you ask yourself why you didn't take the blue pill. Just remember that we are a generation of world changers. Remember that as a living sacrifice your giving everything up. But remember that what you are gaining is everything. So just like the characters in the Matrix, lets push our faith to the limits. Lets be excited about our potential. Lets rise up together, and see what we can accomplish when we push this life to the limits. Lets say no to the passive Christian lifestyle. Rather than say we were better off, let us say we are ready, and we will be better off in the day the Lord returns.
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