I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. —C.S. Lewis
In our culture, today, “born again” is definitely a loaded phrase. Those two words have been politicized and socialized so much that to the outsider, they are little more than a misunderstood cliché—a convenient label to categorize conservative Christians. If you can laugh at yourself a little, you might appreciate the irony and humor in these quotes:
The trouble with born again Christians is that they are an even bigger pain the second time around. —Herb Caen
Why do born-again people so often make you wish they’d never been born the first time? —Katherine Whitehorn
Born again?! No, I’m not. Excuse me for getting it right the first time. —Dennis Miller
How about you? Are you embarrassed by the label? Is it just an adjective with a fuzzy meaning? A cliché? Just remember that no matter what it means to those around us, Jesus said, “You must be born again.” (John 3:7)
The fact is that this “born again” thing is not an option. It wasn’t an option for C.S. Lewis, who came “dejected and reluctant.” It wasn’t an option for the elite religious seekers in Jesus’ day. It’s not an option for the church-goer (or anyone) today. It’s a prerequisite for entering and seeing the Kingdom of God.
Jesus, search my heart and show me my ways. Show me what I think and believe when I hear the words “born again.” Don’t let these words be a catch phrase, punch line, or cliché. Transform me by renewing of my mind through the mystery and majesty of what this truly means! Amen.