The Oddness of Christianity

"What characterizes Christianity in the modern world is its oddness. Christianity is home for people who are out of step, unfashionable, unconventional, and countercultural. As Peter says, 'strangers and aliens.'
Churches are not glistening cathedrals filled exclusively with beautiful Cinderellas. Churches are noisy, rollicking madhouses filled with yelping, dancing, barking pigs who follow the real Cinderella wherever he goes. Churches are not awe inspiring; they are odd inspiring, attracting an earthly assortment of Jesus' followers. The stained glass is extraordinary, but it is also covered with ordinary fingerprints. Dirt from the field is scattered on the glistening marble sanctuary floors. Hanging in the air throughout the cathedral of Christ is the heavenly smell of incense mingled with the piggy fragrance of sweaty, commonplace messy disciples."

Michael Yaconelli
Messy Spirituality: God's Annoying Love for Imperfect People
Zondervan, 2002
76-77