I'm an arsehole.

Ok that may be quite a confronting title and well, go figure, because it was inspired by those crazy kids over at Tharunka.

Dear Tharunks,

Most of us have, at some point in our lives, been arseholes. For some this is a fleeting, transitory stage; for others, not. Either way, why not memorialise your arseholiness in Tharunka? We are looking for people to send us a brief paragraph about a period in their lives during which they were an arsehole...

I was reading an old diary a few days ago. Year 9. O, the angst! I couldn't believe what I was reading. Surely that wasn't me? Surely I was never that catty, selfish and so utterly blind to the goodness of God? Frankly, I was an arsehole.

Here is what I am musing over. Do I reply to Tharunka? Do I dare express my transition from arsehole to follower of Jesus? I can hear it already, though. So being a Christian makes you perfect, then? Is everyone who is not a Christian automatically an arsehole?

Answer: We're all arseholes. The difference is that a Christian is willing to admit it, is willing to concede that the world is messed up because of it and Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from it.

How to not come across as holier-than-thou or as though I'm desperately trying to evangelise - that's my issue. I suppose I'd just tell the truth. I didn't want to be an arsehole anymore. Once I understood what Jesus did I started to live out the life I was born for. Yeah. I believe I actually became less of an arsehole.

So what about people who are just really... nice and great and who aren't arseholes or Christians? Good for them. But when God's standard is perfection, who can stand tall? And how to deal with the injustices caused by the rest of the arseholes whom you are apparently 'better than?' Good luck in trying to find a reason for getting along with the world when you don't have Jesus to motivate you. Without God, it's a free for all. But here we get into the murky waters of whether or not morals exist without God and by this time I'm pretty sure I've already exceeded the limit of a brief paragraph.

Argh! There's so much I feel I need to explain or justify. I'll see what I can come up with. I've put Tharunka to one side for quite a while now...

Think, Christine, think!