I recently came across a definition of the difference between a nerd and a hipster that goes something like this: a nerd is someone who loves something and wants everyone else to love it (whether or not the other person has shown any interest in it whatsoever) while a hipster is someone who loves something and then decides that only s/he and a few good friends are allowed to like it and resents everyone else who says they like it.
A few years ago the book "Not a fan" came out. I don't exactly remember the definition of a fan from that book, but I suppose I could contrast fan to nerd to hipster. And then I could apply all of this to being a Christ follower. And so the question is: am I a fan of Jesus, or a nerd for Jesus, or a hipster for Jesus?
The negative vibe of "Not a fan" automatically excludes "fan of Jesus" as a viable response for anyone who says that they take being a Christian seriously. But there are problems with both being a nerd or a hipster for Jesus. Hipster is obviously a cooler reference. But it's exclusionary. And Jesus was not exclusionary. He went out of his way to seek out the marginalized and to challenge those who thought they were already "in" with God and others, people of both religious and social status. There's a big contrast between the depiction of heaven in popular culture and the word picture John draws in Rev 21. There's not just one pearly gate that's closed only to those who can get by St. Peter. As the hymn "For all the saints" says, "Through gates of pearl stream in the countless host." And there are 12 gates that are wide open to the countless hosts. As Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit.
And that's the problem with being a nerd. A nerd is someone who is socially awkward and unaccepted. The term brings back lots of forgettable memories of high school caste struggles. Nerd is the opposite of cool. Nerds are poor in spirit, people of low self-esteem. They are meek by definition. But Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth and that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor in spirit. And the fact that nerds love one thing so much reminds me of what Jesus said about the pure in heart. Kierkegaard wrote a book called “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” Nerds can see God.
Nerds love something enough to want others to love it too. Do I love Jesus and his kingdom enough to tell others the gospel, that the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news? Am I willing to spread that good news even if it means that others think I'm not cool? Nerds become immersed in a different world and then want others to join them, including the fans and the hipsters. Because God loves fans and hipsters, too.
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