We tend to fall in love with certain public figures - not for who they are, but for the way they appear. An actor can capture our hearts with the role he plays in a movie or TV show. An author can win our affection by creating a character or writing a poem that resonates with our struggles. A popular band can kindle our political fire and make us want to vote a certain way. These public figures are deeply admired. We want to talk like them and wear their clothes. Yet, we only know them on the surface. We follow their passions and their abilities.
Christianity is not admired. As a general rule (at least in my experience on the college campus), young people do not see Christianity as an attractive paradigm to follow. It is not cool to believe in Jesus, heaven, and hell. In fact, most of the time it seems like just the opposite. Some Christians deal with this by trying to make Christianity fashionable. I must admit my desire, at times, to want this. We reach for the elements of culture that are accepted and popular - adding them to Christianity in a desperate hope to "turn cool." These elements of culture are not wrong in themselves, but they are not what makes Christianity attractive. It can be dangerous to rely on accepted cultural elements to define who we are. We don't need to fight to keep these elements out of the church - this would be foolish. But we should not hope to be identified by them.
What makes a person and a paradigm attractive is passion. To have strong beliefs and convictions is appealing. Apathy and complacency are no longer popular qualities. If we stand un-wavered behind our beliefs; and more importantly, if we live our lives in a manner consistent with what we believe, then we are admired. In short, if we treasure and follow our beliefs more than admiration itself, then we attract others to do the same.
