Conformity and the Christian life

Here's Sunday's thought for the day, lifted in toto from Mike's House of Homiletical Hash:

If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity. - Bill Vaughan

So true. In a similar vein, Michael Spencer considers the tendency of Christians to force each other into pre-determined stereotypes:

Christians in America are increasingly falling into the stereotypical categories being created by the engines of the culture war, making it difficult for thoughtful people who resist categorization and do not fully identify with the polarizations of the culture war to be tolerated within evangelicalism or identified as "real Christians." In fact, the very categories themselves fail to accomodate the rich diversities and depths of the Biblical/Christian worldview.

Amen. As Christians, being transformed is not about falling into line with the pet beliefs of one's denomination or movement. It's nothing short of conforming to the image of Christ. Nothing short.