The Stoic Christian

So, I recently read about G.K. Chesterton in one of my textbooks, and I was thoroughly impressed with the man. He was a journalist, essayist, debater, and and general learner and reader who loved God and people deeply. He has long been remembered for his intelligence and supreme wit. Opponents who would debate him often went away as his friends because of his charisma and seemingly endless joy about life.

The author of the book said we need more Chestertons in Christianity today, and I totally agree. I often try to stifle my emotions in order to seem more "stable" or "normal," and I think I sometimes come across as someone who just doesn't have any fun. I sometimes find myself in the mindset that I have to control my every emotion in order to be a good Christian, which is not true.

I was reading Luke 18 today. In this chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple together. When He gets to the part about the tax collector beating his chest and crying out to God, I imagined Jesus going through this same motion in telling the parable. After the parable, Luke says many people were bringing infants and children to Jesus. I had a thought during this. I often think of Jesus having a stoic personality who is quiet and sombre most of the time. Why? Thinking about it more, I bet Jesus was a pretty charismatic teacher. I bet He got into the parables He told, laughed a lot, and used the rhetoric of his time.

Just a quick thought, but it's a really nice perspective.

Peace.