r a d i c a l - defined

During the mid 1980's a term that was thrown around very loosely and quite frequently was the word radical. A few years later, the term was almost personified in our culture by those who, especially me, who wanted to "rage against the machine," whatever their machine was at the time.

As I have grown up a little and matured in the Lord a little, I see and understand things differently than before. My definitions have shifted, and in some cases, changed dramatically. One of those definitions is for the word radical.

For many years I misunderstood the definition of the word radical. In the height of my misunderstanding, I associated radical with being trendy or edgy. For example, to have lots of tattoos, maybe multiple piercings, or crazy outrageous clothes, in my definition, was radical. Again, a consistent trend emerges here. Radical usually was the icon for some sort of dramatic change that screamed so loudly, "I disagree with your norm (i.e., your machine), and I want to make a public statement about it."

Much to my dismay, the original, first meaning for the word radical, according to http://www.dictionary.com/ and http://www.etymonline.com/ is the following: "root; of or having roots; going to the origin, essential; change from the roots; in a political sense, reformist" and in reference to generational slang, "unconventional" and "at the limits of control."

So needless to say, in actuality, being radical is being firmly grounded in clarity of understanding from where we, as the Body of Christ, have grown originally and what the Church was designed, equipped, and commissioned for...... to bear much fruit and fruit that remains, globally. Perhaps then being radical is not edgy or trendy or being different for the sake of just being different, but something totally and completely different.

Radicals are reformers closely connected to their roots and origin. Revolutionaries one might say because sometimes revisiting our roots and origin demands change that requires the cutting back of those things that defined originality.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name." (John 15:4,5,8,16, NLT, http://www.bible.com)

So what do you say?

r a d i c a l c h u r c h - ?