noun
- 1.an ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material.
adjective
- 1.not part of the mainstream; unconventional, peripheral, or extreme.
Mark 5:25-29 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
Have you ever felt out of place or that you just don't fit in with what society has decided is normal? Maybe you are a little edgy or maybe you have been let down by those who should have had your back. For whatever reason, you feel withdrawn from the mainstream, God desires a relationship with you.
Culture determines, many times based on arbitrary ideas, who fits in and who does not. Feeling misplaced is not something exclusive to one segment of society. You can feel misplaced in luxury or living on the streets, you can feel misplaced in suburbia or in a city with millions around you. Often, society defines fringey people by appearance, however, there are many who put on a suit and tie everyday who feel just as out of step with mainstream society as a gal with a purple mohawk.
Many hide or deny their feelings of isolation from "normal" while others embrace who they are and don't care who likes it. The truth is, there are many more people on the fringe of society than most people realize. Jesus is Lord of the Fringe.
If you look at the people with whom Jesus associated, you will realize, He was not calling the mainstream people who had no sense of need in their lives. Jesus went to those who were hurting, left out and isolated. Even John the Baptist, before Jesus, was in the wilderness ministering, not in the town square or in the synagogues. Mark 2:17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
God also demonstrated this truth in the account of the woman with the issue of blood, mentioned above. This woman knew if she could just touch the fringe of Christ's garment, she would be healed. You can read more about on this here: Grabbing the Fringe of Jesus' Garment Being on the Fringe of society herself, due to health issues, this lady reached out to Jesus and was healed.
Being Fringey does not mean excusing or ignoring sin, it means being who God has allowed you to be for His glory, using the personality and style God has allowed you to develop through all your life's experiences. The call to holiness is still one of most important pursuits of any believer. Being fringey does not redefine sin either, in fact, our goal is to help the individual pursue God's best and seek inward change, which will manifest in changed behavior.
In other words, you may not trade the black t-shirt for a suit, but you might change the design or message on the shirt. You may not trade your sweater vest in for a leather jacket, but you will feel comfortable with who God has you to be and minister to others within your gifting and calling.
If you consider yourself on the outside looking in, for whatever reason, Jesus has a seat for you at His table. God loves you as you are but loves you too much to leave you that way.
Know you are loved, know you can find forgiveness and community in Christ. Know you have been designed with purpose and God has adventure for you. Join those of us who have joined Jesus on the Fringe and watch God rock your world
Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!
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