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...Redeemed by The Light!
"How can you be Goth & Christian at the same time?"
I personally like to describe us (Goths) as being similar to snowflakes. They may appear to look and be the same. However, if one were to look close enough, they each are different-formed in unique beauty by their Creator. No two are alike.
To be honest, I am fairly new to the Goth scene and Gothic Community. I do not want to portray myself to be any type of sub-cultural expert, so I will simply respond to your questions from my own personal experience. First, you should know that I was raised as a Christian. My association with the Christian-Goth community was made a little over two years ago.
Growing up, I could associate with almost anyone, and I could relate to many of my peers. However, I found that the majority could not relate to me. After many difficult, but typical childhood/adolescent social experiences, my desire to “fit-in†quickly disappeared. I learned to embrace my uniqueness and recognize it as a divine part of my being.
I personally believe that there is no such thing as a spiritual “part†of my life. It’s all spiritual, my race, my gender and even my sub-culture. I did not choose to be Goth, like I did not choose my ethnicity. I was born with certain physical traits that society has given a label to, and that is my race. I was also born with an individual personality. It is how that personality is both reflected by my lifestyle & viewed by society that classifies my as Goth. Yes, certain traits are the result of our physical environment, some are learned, but I cannot believe, as a Christ-Follower that my Creator did not use creativity in the forming of my heart and soul. In other words, I did not do or say anything to become a Goth.
As for social relations, God has blessed with very strong intuition, and I have been given the privilege of using it to serve Him by being able to reach out to many people. My friends have ranged from 10 years my junior to over 50 years my senior. They are diverse in race, religion, ethnic background and include both genders. Even those closest to me, my kindred spirits, as I like to call them, are not like each other.
My outward appearance and fashion can range in variety from professional to theatrical, from silly to sophisticated, but I am always me. My personal ministry is my priority, and its success is determined by my integrity and the ability to maintain it and grow beyond my current boundaries. What I wear, is only a creative reflection of what I feel like inside. Even when I am in an outfit that is required to be worn-the expressions of my face, the tone of my voice and the way I respond is all a reflection of who I am, and who I am is suppose to be a reflection of Jesus.
I view life as a gift but my eternal life as a reward. Death only burdens my heart for those I will leave behind, but my comfort is knowing that the Lord is not going to bring me home until my work is finished. I am only confident in that because I have chosen to be obedient to Him, His word and the calling he has placed on my life. It is not easy to follow and it comes with a very high price. I had to lose my life in order to gain it. That is where death becomes a celebration. It is not merely a transition from one life to the next. It is the physical occurrence of what my soul has already done and what my spirit has to do every day when I wake up and choose to life for Christ.
So…when you ask me, “How can you be Christian and Goth at the same time?†My only response is, how can I not be?
Why I Mourn, Why I Am Pro-Life
How does one determine the end of a life? The "Time-of-Death" is called after the heart has stopped and fails to continue beating. So what about life? Some do not consider life to begin until birth, but a baby's heart starts beating 24 days after conception. Since 1973, our nation has allowed the murder of millions in the name of "freedom of choice." What about a baby's right to live? God's word tells us in Ecclesiastes 11:5 (MSG), "Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, so you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does." God forms life in a mother's womb. Who are we to end it? I stand for the truth He has written and for the gift of life He gave us. I mourn the loss of children merciless slaughtered by abortion each day. I mourn the youth of our generations tainted by the world's "love of self" mentality. I mourn a nation who has abandoned God and puts "choice" above "life." I mourn those in the Body of Christ who have lost the courage to stand for Him and speak out.
This is why I mourn. This is why I am Pro-Life.