Breaking the myths of Christianity by Samara.

Kirsty and I on the morning of my wedding day. This is the type of relationship that we have!

Today I welcome my best friend Samara to Unspoken Conversations. I met Samarz through university 7 years ago. Since then we have pretty much been inseparable. I have had the ultimate pleasure of standing beside her on her wedding day, of popping a bottle of champers with her when she bought her first house with her husband, of seeing her save her pennies and travel around the world, BUT most importantly I have seen her grow in her faith.

Samara is everything that a Christian should be. Firstly, she practices what she preaches. She is kind, loyal and loving. She volunteers so much of her time to help other people. She definitely doesn't go around with a bible bashing people into religion. Instead, Samara is just a normal, loud, crazy and fun girl, who loves dancing, photo booths, eating, a glass of champers, her bunny rabbit and BLEACH!

I'm so glad that I have Samara in my life. Not only is she a beautiful person and friend but she also opens up my eyes to Christianity, invites me along to fun events like food nights surrounded by Christians and constantly reminds me of the power of faith.

I have written a blog post for Samara today called 5 Things that I Have Learnt Since Suffering From Depression. Check it out over on Samara's AMAZING blog called The Secret Life of Samara.

BE WARNED. You are likely to become addicted to her BLOG! It's AWESOME!

Kirsty and I dancing up a storm!

How long have you been a Christian for?

I have been going to church my whole life. I grew up in a wonderful church community that catered really well for young people. I went from creche to kids church to youth group and loved every minute of it. I think the defining time when I began to 'own' my faith was when I was about 14 and started to go to church by myself (when Dad had work). I used to get myself up on a Sunday morning and walk myself to church. 

What do you think is the biggest misconception about Christians?

There are so many misconceptions about Christians but I think the biggest one for us here in Adelaide at the moment is that we are all like the 'Mall Preachers". In case you don't know who the mall preachers are, they are a bunch of people who call themselves Christians who hang around in our local shopping mall, Rundle Mall. They essentially yell at people telling them that God hates sinners and that all must repent or go to Hell. I find it so sad that they are trying to use hatred to bring people to know God's love- it makes no sense to me. I don't like the fact that people would associate me with that kind of behaviour and think that I believe that God hates homosexuals, sinners etc. I spend a lot of my time trying to convince people that they won't be yelled at and abused if they go to a church. People also often believe that Christians are 'weird' or 'crazy' and 'can't have fun'. These are all simply wrong and to be truthful, hurtful. If you step into a church you will find a bunch of people who are all relatively normal. They're not perfect or flawless and don't expect you to be either.

Example 1= relatively normal Christian friends.

Example 2= Slightly less normal but still relatively normal Christian friends.

How do you think church and Christianity has changed over time?

Church has changed and I think it is taking society awhile to realise that. It is no longer the traditional, uptight place that it may have once been. While there are still churches like that around, there are a huge number that are far more contemporary and catering to the younger generation. The church today is much more free and relaxed in their worship time and a great place for people young and old to be connected. If your experience of church has been a boring one, you just haven't found the right one and need to keep looking.

As for Christians- I think our churches are no longer filled with people who go because it's the 'done' thing. Our churches are beginning to full with people who are on fire for God and have a real passion to know Him more. They are full of people who know the massive sacrifice that Jesus made for them by dying on the cross for their sins and want to respond to this gracious act.  I think people are much more open about their sin and their need for God and are far more accepting of people who were once shunned by the church. 

What is the best thing about being a Christian?

The best thing about being a Christian? Knowing my Creator God, knowing my saviour Jesus and knowing where I am going after my time on this Earth is done. There is such a great peace that comes with knowing these things. So often I see people trying to find that thing that is 'missing' in their life. They spend their whole life seeking it in material possessions, experiences and relationships and find that they are never satisfied. I truly believe that the only thing that can truly make us feel whole is knowing God.

Why do Christians believe in no sex before marriage?

I always find that this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people coming to know God; they can't understand why Christians don't have sex before marriage. I just want to clear something up- Christians don't hate sex. God doesn't hate sex. He in fact designed it to not only be a way to procreate but to also be pleasurable, it was no mistake! God created it and He created it to be for marriage between two people who are committed to one another for life. This helps to prevent any hurt, anger and betrayal that can be potentially caused by sex. The Bible has a lot to say about the topic- feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. 

What's in it for me if I become a Christian?

Oh Kirsty, I laughed so much at this. Unfortunately you will not be treated to a show bag at the door! I'm not sure of the best way to answer this- what will you get? Eternal life? To know your Creator? To be washed clean of all your sins and shown what true forgiveness is? To belong to a community of people who generally seek to care for one another? There's probably nothing I can say in this forum that will make you come to know God- you really need to go to a church for yourself and see what it's all about. If Church seems a bit daunting, pick up a Bible and read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). This is also a helpful website to explain some of it also.

If you are keen to find out more, my church is running a series of events which would be a great place for you to explore this whole "Christianity" thing. For guys, there is a men's night at the Coopers Brewery (Jealous! I am being dish pig for the night so that I can check the place out! ha ha), a women's food night (we you should all definitely come to) and a quiz night for all ages, all genders, all IQ levels (I'm organising a table if you are keen). If you want to know details, check out this website or contact me if you want to come with someone.

Thanks for having me Kirsty,

Samara

xo