As a teenage boy, getting a young girl’s attention could be tricky business. Classroom antics and good-natured teasing could draw the remark, “You’re kind of weird?”, which is code for “You’re funny and I’m interested”. The same words could also mean, “What’s your major malfunction, turkey?” One represents a glimmer of hope while the other spells Buckleys.

As our churches culturally engage society, our aim is to influence the hearts and lives of people for Christ. It’s tricky because our mission can fail on two fronts. One, we can blend in, appearing much the same as the society around us. Having no distinctiveness, the unchurched person declares, “You have nothing to offer me.” Some of our churches run the risk of trying to emulate society for reasons of either respectability or relevance. We sense the need to be “useful”, believing that our validation comes only as people deem we’re making a worthy contribution. We can be like the new kid on the block who tries too hard to fit in, the wannabe. Conversely, we can appear far too different to the extent that people surmise, “They’re just too weird.” We wish to be so unlike our society, perceived to be going “to hell in a hand-basket”, that frankly, we scare off the uninitiated. So, too similar or too unusual? The trick is being weird…in the right way.

Weird in the right way means on the surface, we look similar but underneath, our values, conduct, attitude and belief set us apart. It’s not that we aim to be geeks but if standing for what is right is geeky, so be it. It means on occasions, we unapologetically declare, “I know this doesn’t make much sense to you, but as a follower of Christ, I have convictions on this matter.” Weird in the right way is knowing we can share some common ground but we’re prepared to risk being offensive rather than compromise our calling in Christ. Blending in? Just plain weird? Or weird in the right way?