Trying to be Christian

I found this today while looking at an “old” sermon – it shows where I am -- STILL:

Many years ago when Bryant Gumble still hosted the Today Show, he interviewed Maya Angelou. He asked her if there was anything else she wanted to accomplish with her life.

"Oh, my Lord, yes,” she answered. “I want to become a better writer. I'm very serious about it. It's what I am. It's how I describe myself to myself, and [I want to be] a better human being. I'm trying to be a Christian, which is no small matter. I mean it. I'm always amazed ... when [people] walk up to me and say, 'I'm a Christian.' I always think, 'Already? You've already got it? My goodness.'"

I remember distinctly that obscure moment in morning television because I could resonate so much with what she said. Speaking for myself, I’ve often felt that in claiming to be a Christian I was claiming more about myself than I should. The name of Christ was given to me in my baptism at the-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time-age of 4-months. A gift of grace, indeed.

Living up to that name, however, is another story. My so-called “Christian life” has had more ups and downs than the stock market. So I prefer to say that I’m trying to be a Christian and some days I’m more trying than others; some days I’m closer to being a Christian than others! I’ve also thought about saying I was a “becoming” Christian, but I’m not always very “becoming” either.