Elijah Herrell - not as easy as it seemed

Despite a central theme of the Christian faith being the betrayal, desertion, and execution Jesus endured and the consequent call for us to lay down our lives in similar fashion, the reality is that, to some degree, it’s still okay to be a Christian in the Western world. It’s easy to piecemeal select verses into a textbook suburban life. But what about when a conviction costs you your job? What about when committing to a church means you drop all your hobbies? What about when things like marriage, retirement, a long life, or owning property are off the table? Let me be clear – I don’t think any of these things are specifically wrong, but they’re often assumed as patterns to follow.

Elijah Herrell deftly challenges these notions of comfort: what if a conviction toward biblical sexuality assumes you’ll never see your dreams play out? What if it means you never marry? Is it possible to still have home, family? Can you stand among the five-children families on Sunday and still feel like you’re even meant to be there?

“not as easy as it seemed” is simply honest. Herrell does not condemn those who might misunderstand or overlook his particular plight, but he does ask that we consider his particular struggle as it relates to the Christian experience. For many, God’s call in their lives aligns with things they already happen to desire. But what about when we’re called to die to ourselves, to put to shame the wisdom of the world, to unravel the fabric of modern thought that longs to tighten as a noose around us? Or, to be more plainly, how do we make sense of situations where what God has provided is both the most GOOD and most PAINFUL? This song is just a small window into there topics, but it’s honestly something worth talking about in an age where sexuality and related topics aren’t going anywhere. Check it out below: