By Paul Koch –

I know you’ve seen them, If you’re like me you might very well try and avoid them but almost all of us have unwittingly come across them at one time or another. They are the ultra positive, always grinning, buckets of sunshine, super Christians who are so in love with Jesus that they make the rest of us uncomfortable. Inspired by The Lego Movie (see the clip above), for now on I will refer to them as Unikitty Christians.

A Unikitty Christian tries they’re best to deny the ugly realities of the Christian life. Doubts, fears, worries, sufferings; these have no place in the worldview of the Unikitty Christian. Such things are pressed down deep inside so that they always have that smile on their faces when they engage those around them.  There is no place for laments and even anger with God in the world of the Unikitty Christian.  Sure they may have them privately but we would never know, for it’s all sunshine and rainbows when they head out into public.

Here’s the thing, I think Unikitty Christians are actually dangerous. They create a false image of the faith that can only lead to despair.  If you are having a hard day, if you are struggling and suffering the Unikitty Christian stands before you as an unattainable example of the Christian life. When we are suffering we are encouraged to just get over it, or to give it over to Jesus, or to “let go and let God.” And if we can’t then we look inward for hope, we look to our own ability, our own frailty, our own willing, hoping that we might be able to achieve the bliss of the Unikitty Christian.

Our life is filled with those who see suffering as the greatest of all evils, and the last place God would be at work.  We are encouraged by the cheery disposition of the Unikitty Christian to equate a life of faith with a life of joy and smiles.

Such a view of our life as Christians is simply dishonest. It terrorizes the consciences of God’s children and drives us away from his gifts. Your life is never promised to be one of ease and joy.  In fact our Lord promised that your life would be marked by a cross, and it is through the suffering of our Lord’s cross that we are to understand the gifts and blessing of God.

Let us put a stop to the Unikitty Christian and remind one another and all who suffer, that even in their trials and struggles they remain the children of God – even if they don’t smile about it!