Everybody Who Is Honest Is Interesting


I recently read a wonderful quote from Quentin Crisp that sparked my imagination. 

Crisp, the late British author, actor, and raconteur was addressing a group of reporters once when he said, "Everybody is interesting." 

One of the reporters pushed back by saying that he quite disagreed with Crisp on that point and that there were, in fact, lots of boring people in the world. 

Crisp thought for a moment, and then amended his statement: "Everybody who is honest is interesting."

Come on!  How fabulous is that? 

Crisp's quip (say that five times really fast) got me thinking about how far too many of us Christian-y types live out our faith in uninteresting ways, simply because we aren't being entirely honest about it.

I like to imagine what it would be like if Christians everywhere started being completely and incredibly honest about their faith-- especially the parts of their faith filled with struggles, doubts, fears, hang-ups and wrong-headed notions that have led them astray. 

What if those of us who follow Jesus decided to embrace a way of living and being in the world that was absolutely grounded in the compelling honesty of Jesus' teachings and example?  I have a hunch that even the most jaded critics of Christianity would find that interesting...

And might that change our faith communities?  Would we be able to be more vulnerable and open with one another?  To be okay with not being okay?  To live more easily with questions and with faith struggles?  

It's not easy to do this honesty thing, though, which is why it hasn't caught on quite as easily as it should.  Being honest about what it takes to follow Jesus takes an extraordinary amount of effort, and it doesn't happen overnight.  

Alexander MacLaren puts it like this:  
It takes a lifetime to fathom Jesus; it takes a lifetime to appropriate Jesus, it takes a lifetime to be clothed with Jesus.  And the question comes to each of us, have we 'put off the old man with his deeds'? Are we daily, as sure as we put on our clothes in the morning, putting on Christ the Lord?
May you live into the hope of an interesting and honest faith.  May you continue to stumble after Jesus, knowing that every faltering step is one made in the right direction.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.  

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