I’ll never forget the first time I read a comic book. My dad and I were at my grandparents’ house, where he found an old box of comics that he had as a kid. The first one I read was The Amazing Spider-Man #132, “The Molten Man Strikes Again!” Pretty exciting stuff. I remember reading that and loving it, Spider-Man was a hero who stood up for people even when he faced terrifying villains (even though we’ll probably never see Molten Man in a movie). From this moment I knew I wanted to stand up for people, wanted to reach others for the kingdom of God. My parents always showed my sister and I the power of God in their lives, which in turn we were able to see the power of God in our own lives. In my life I have learned to view the world through this lens, a lens that says I can be a hero and that I can make a difference. That’s not normal, that’s weird.

So many times in life we are told to “fit in,” not stand out in the crowd and make a scene. We call those types of people weirdos. I have been called a weirdo plenty of times in life, and you know, I’m proud of it. I’m proud of the fact that I wasn’t like everyone else, I used to laugh and say that all the misfit kids were drawn to me, but it gave me a purpose. A purpose to be a friend to people who were laughed at; to be a light in the life of someone else has been my heartbeat ever since I read that comic and had my parents speak life over my life. The cool part is, I’m not the only weirdo, and I think you have the potential to be weird too. Now I’m not talking about you suddenly loving nerdy things, because that isn’t a weirdo. Someone who is weird is simply someone who understands that they were meant for more than simply existing. These are the people who run after the dream, stand up for what they believe in, and people who are not okay with sitting back while the world crashes in front of them. We all have a desire in our hearts for more, we just have to unlock that potential. We have to know that we are individuals designed with great power, so let’s all be weird.

Jesus was weird.

(Woah can he say that?!) It’s true. Jesus was very weird. Jesus was God’s son, sent into the world to save the world and bridge the gap between God and Man. That’s pretty weird. Not only that, but Jesus saw that each person was made by God and was valued, because he himself was God. Now maybe you’ve had church hurt or talked to a mean Christian (yup I said it), and you might be thinking that sure Jesus was great and all, but I don’t fit into the right type of person that he came to save. You’re thinking like someone who’s been normal for too long, think weird. Jesus came to save everyone, no matter what they had done or what society said they were. You see, Jesus came to save everyone. Meaning he spent his time with tax collectors that everyone despised, with prostitutes who people said were worthless, and lepers who felt as if God had left them. Jesus was weird. He chose to eat in the homes of tax collectors, he showed the prostitutes that they were so worth loving no matter what the world said, and he chose to heal the lepers and let them know that God was always with them. Jesus was weird. Jesus lived in a world that told him to fit in and not cause trouble, instead, Jesus chose to be weird and show the people around him that they were all important in the masterpiece of God’s creation. Jesus died and rose again so that we could all be saved. Jesus was weird.

Potential weirdness is in you.

You’ve got it. You’ve got this feeling in you that you were made for more. Jesus came to save you, no matter what’s in your past, this means that you have potential. You have potential weirdness. This is the moment before your life changes. This is the moment before the spider bites you, before the mutant inside awakens, and before you remember that you know kung fu. You’ve got what it takes, kid. Don’t believe me? 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 tells us that we are all parts that make up the body, each unique and vital to the rest of the body. Where one is weak, another is strong. This is the metaphor for potential weirdness, you are a vital piece in the puzzle. Paul is the author of the book where this passage comes from, he’s actually one who wrote most of the New Testament, and he is telling each of us that we are important and unique. God wants to use each of you, no matter what. If you are still nervous in this potential weirdness stage because of the mistakes you’ve made, don’t be. Paul was essentially a terrorist who prided himself on the capture and killing of Christians during his time. This is the same guy that told us that we are important and vital, he had a life changing moment. God used him in spite of his dark past. God wants to use you. You have potential weirdness and it’s time to let it free.

So what does this look like? Living a weird lifestyle simply means living like Christ in a time when we are told to fit in. This simply means plugging into the source. We’ve got to dive into scripture each day, we have to connect into a life giving community, and we must serve others out of our talents. For me, this means waking up early to do quiet time, joining a small group at my church, and being a small group leader for the next gen each week. Am I perfect? Nope. Being weird doesn’t mean being perfect. The only perfect person was Jesus, that’s why we look to him as the example of how to be weird. Sometimes I over sleep, some weeks my anxiety screams for me not to go to small group, and I’m not always at 100% when leading groups; but God still uses me. I fight through it because I know the importance of being weird. We are all misfits. God uses the misfits to do incredible things. For me, God uses my love of comics and b-movies to connect with the kids who are made fun of in school. My love of writing is used to share what God is speaking to me. I am weird. I choose to be weird each day. You need to unlock your purpose. Use the abilities that God has given you, because you have the potential for weirdness. Don’t be normal and watch the world pass away, stand in Christ and make a difference.

You have been made by God with a purpose, so let’s all be weird.

-Joshua Thomas

This month I will be looking at different ways to be weird. Each week will look into the ways that we can avoid being normal and step into true weirdness. Sign up for email updates or follow so you don’t miss it. Next week we look at what is love (*Cue Haddaway song*), baby don’t hurt me no more.