Truth and Love in a Divided World
Labels suck
by Keith Russo
Too often, people use labels like Christian, Catholic, Baptist, Gay Christian, Progressive Christian, or even just Republican and Democrat as if those words can fully capture who we are. The truth is, labels are shorthand—they’re quick identifiers. But they can also put us in boxes that God never designed for us. Faith, at its core, isn’t about a label—it’s about relationship. A relationship with God. A relationship with community. A relationship with truth and love. The Bible doesn’t say “you’ll be known by your label.” It says, “you’ll be known by your fruit.” When we obsess over labels, we risk turning faith into a brand instead of a belief. We miss the bigger picture—that people are complex, and God is far too big to be confined by our categories. My goal in this episode is to challenge the idea that labels define our faith or our worth. I want to remind us that while labels can help describe, they should never be allowed to divide. At the end of the day, we’re not called to be brand ambassadors for a denomination—we’re called to love God and love people.
Why did I start This? Take a listen!