What’s a punk?
In Roxley’s battle card game, Radlands, players defend their camps by building their army of people and starting events with the scarce resource of water. The goal of the game is to destroy all three of your opponent’s camps. The theme of the game is post-apocalyptic. The art reflects popular apocalyptic media including Mad Max and the Walking Dead. On the back of every card is a picture of what the game calls a Punk. Some cards in the game allow you to use the back of a card as a playable person for your army. The rule book and various cards remind you that “punks are people too.” A punk is not as strong as the Assassin or Vanguard. Where people can take two hits before being destroyed, punks are destroyed in only one hit. Additionally, punks, for the most part, do not have abilities (Argo Yeskey is a legendary person that grants punks the ability to do damage). Although the punk is mostly used as a meat shield for more important people, the game reminds you constantly, that they are still people.
Born a punk
The book of Genesis teaches us that everyone is created in the image of God. So what does that mean? First, it means everyone has innate value. A person’s value is not determined by their stock portfolio, resume, or intellect. Instead, because they are created in the image and likeness of God, they have eternal value. Secondly, it means every person has purpose. Every atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, have a longing for purpose. Everyone asks the question, what is the reason for my life? Thirdly, it means that everyone is born with free will. If we were just matter and energy then we could only do what our bio-chemical reactions would have us to do. That’s not free will. But my life experience has shown me that I do not have to do what my bio-chemical reactions tell me do to. I have a free will. I can love or I can hate. I can kill someone or I can feed them. The problem is that, although we are born in the image of God, we are also born with a readiness-to-sin factor. In Genesis 3 we see the “punk” nature come out in Adam and Eve when they flip God off and say “God, we got this, scram!” Instead of allowing God to choose what is right and wrong, humankind would rather choose from themselves what is right and wrong, what is good and evil. So, because God respects our free will highly, he partially grants our request, steps back then chaos and disorder is ushered in, not by God, but my the consequeces of humankind’s choice to disobey God.
Now, some in our culture may counter that and say “that was Adam and Eve’s choice, not mine, why do we have to suffer consequences for their actions?” But I am afraid such a response is are reflection of our American individualism attitude that says – you live your life, I live mine, and if we meet that’s awesome, if not, then who cares. But statistics show us that we are more connected than we would like to be. Children are affected by the divorce of their parents. Alcoholism affects an entire family, not just the alcoholic. Sin is not an isolated act, it’s a communal one that affects more people than we know. So, because of the acts of Adam and Eve, we suffer the consequences. Although we are created in the image of God, we are also born punks that are ready to flip God off and decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. So what’s the solution? Well… Scripture does not offer an answer to “what the solution is”, but it does offer an answer to the question “who is the solution”!
Jesus loves punks
Every religion makes a truth claim. Muhammad makes the truth claim that Alla is God and the only way to God is through his prophet Muhammad and following the five pillars of Islam. The Hindu truth claim is that everyone and everything is god. The secularist says that we all come from matter and energy evolved to a higher order. Likewise, Jesus Christ makes the truth claim that He is God in flesh and He has come to recoil us to God. That is, Jesus has come to make the relationship between us and God possible again. The question we have to ask ourselves – is Jesus reliable? Is Jesus trustworthy? Jesus said to the curious Pharisee, Nicodemus, on a rooftop in the middle of the night that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son and whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal [infinite] life. Jesus later says that he did not come to condemn the world because the world was condemned already. But he came so that some might be saved through him. So the house we are in is on fire, Jesus comes to rescue us from the fire, and we have the free choice to grasp his hand and escape or stay in the burning house. Let me encourage you to grasp Jesus’ hand, not because I said so, but because the evidence that Jesus is reliable and trustworthy is overwhelming.
Jesus is no punk
There are four reasons I can give you to show that Jesus is no punk. By that, I mean that Jesus is trustworthy and it would be wise to put your faith in him.
1. Jesus lived a perfect life.
Jesus’ disciples claimed that in the three years they followed Jesus while he was on Earth, the dude never sinned. That is, Jesus never disobeyed or rebelled against God nor did he once sin against his neighbor. Even Jesus’ enemies were silent when he asked them, “who can charge me of sin.” I do not know about you, but the people I love the most will be able to find sin in my life. But if I can some how fool them, my enemies will not struggle the least bit to find fault in my life. Jesus’ friends and enemies found or heard no sin in his life.
2. Jesus taught amazing ethical teachings.
The gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 are said by a Harvard ethics teacher to be the works of an ethical genius. The entire study of ethics is a footnote of the sermon on the mount. But don’t take it from me. Go and read those chapters for yourself.
3. Jesus died loving and forgiving his enemies.
At Jesus’ weakest, while nailed to a wooden cross beam, instead of cursing his enemies, like I would, he forgave them by saying “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” We tend to give a lot of respect to those that give their lives for others. Jesus on the cross teaches us what true tolerance is. Tolerance is not “we all believe the same thing therefore we should always agree with each other.” Tolerance is being patience, merciful and kind even though we disagree. Jesus shows us the pinnacle of tolerance is the cross.
4. Jesus rose from the dead.
I promise, if you rose from the dead, I would listen real carefully what you have to say. One out of one people die. But the claim that the early followers of Christ proclaimed was that Jesus rose from the dead and they were willing to die for that. Take note, they were not willing to die for what they believe, but they were willing to die for what they claimed to have seen – the dead Christ risen from the dead. Some times people will die for what they DO NOT KNOW to be a lie, but never will you find a person in their right cognitive thinking die for what they DO KNOW to be a lie. Therefore, the eye-witness testimony of Jesus’ resurrection and their willingness to be martyred for it by the Roman empire is good evidence that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead.
Don’t stay a punk, follow Jesus
Although we are born punks, we don’t have to live as punks. Now, don’t get me wrong, a follower of Jesus still has punk tendencies. I am at times lustful, greedy, and prideful. But I have a savior that I can work on that with. He promises me his Holy Spirit to help me with my punkness. So, let me introduce you to my best friend that has given me new life – Jesus Christ. Check Him out in the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and ask yourself if the evidence in those historical documents is enough for you to put your faith in him. If so, follow Jesus as Lord, if not reject him. But, if you reject him, ponder these two questions – 1. What are you living for? 2. What is the evidence of what you are living for is true, is real? My prayer is with you as you make that most important decision. God bless!
