Little Christs?

It's pretty well known from the story in Acts that Jesus followers were first called Christians at Antioch.  Further, the word is formed using a diminutive suffix that yields the meaning "little Christs." This wasn't intended to be a compliment; it was seen more as a slam. But in the tradition of Jesus himself, the "Christians" took the humiliating and wore it with pride. They said, "Yeah, that's us! We're to be little Jesuses walking about doing his work."

Enough has been written about how the name "Christian" has been sullied by those who don't live like Jesus. Not enough has been written about what it actually means to be a Christian.

It was apparent to a fluent Greek speaker that "christ" meant "anointed one," a translation of the Hebrew "messiah." So perhaps they heard "little anointed ones" when they heard "Christians." That gets a step closer to the truth I'm digging after. I believe we are to be "little messiahs," behaving as Jesus did in his suffering, shame, and bearing of the curse for others (see here for a fuller exploration). Only then will we share his glory, which the apostle Paul almost always associates with suffering.

Whether people can get "little messiah" out of "Christian" or not is beyond our control. We can, however, begin to live as the Messiah did, bearing the curse for others, helping their hearts become flesh, ushering them into new creation. Those will in turn bear the curse for others, spreading new creation in wider and wider circles till all things become new.