Millpond Ink Musing – Am I Peculiar? Are You?

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14

I knew when I was growing up that I didn’t fit in socially. Poor, freckled faced, and goofy-looking, I was often bullied, pointed and laughed at; some of the cruelest were supposed ‘Christian’ kids. I withdrew into myself; later rebelling, quitting school (9th grade), then, in 1969—just turned seventeen, I joined the Marine Corps to prove “I was a man.”

But am I peculiar in the sense that the Apostle Paul meant in Titus 2:14? Such peculiarity is not standing out in some natural way; ranging from possessing beautiful to crooked features; intellectual to athletic prowess; philanthropic to heinous act… Those things, while possibly peculiar in the worldly sense, may bring to those in this world their fifteen minutes of glory or recognition but what is fifteen minutes to eternity? What is 60, 70, 90 years? All lives are but a vapor, sent to earth at birth as dew; rising when the day is o’er; only Christ shall see me through.  

No, the question is, ‘Am I peculiar in the sense that Christ’s light shines and purifies me through my physical gestures; what I say and how; my personal interests and activities, my many or few gifts… a million or a mite.’ All that I am, does it reflect back on Him and to His glory and Sonship? Is there anything supernatural that others see in me? Supernatural; that is, a special grace from God that is seen and is extraordinary for the circumstances; not as what is commonly given by God to men; such as the rain that falls on both the saint and sinner.

I don’t know. I must not either look or I am unable to see whether or not I am peculiar. Isn’t that itself peculiar? What I am asking; rhetorically of course, is, ‘Do others see in me the light and sun of righteousness continually on the rise in my life, or do others only hear of me the tale of Christ and see in me the pale of a hinted dawn? I hope the former and not the latter is true. Nonetheless…   

I pray that I spend the remainder of my days in the noonday sun, but for me that’s not particularly peculiar: It’s the right; the good lived out!  Frankly, whether or not I am peculiar, that is for the world to say, and unfortunately they won’t say it nicely. The Gospel to them is an offense; something to be disparaged, rejected, scoffed and laughed at, torched and scorched… might I even say, ‘crucified?’ While I certainly don’t set about to realize those dark accolades, I can say this: If I can easily fit in, I’m neither peculiar, right nor good; not as Paul intended it in speaking to his beloved Titus.

Hypocrisy isn’t peculiar. I know that much.