As a Christian in a time where there are all sorts of negative connotations attached to the word, I’d like to explain my view.

The best way I can describe Christianity, I think, is to relate it to one of the things I love most about this world. Chocolate.

The word is thrown around like it’s trash in a junk yard, but the Christianity I’m talking about is people whose lives are dedicated to the God of Christianity and strive daily to fulfill his purposes.

Chocolate and me had some hard times a little while ago when I first began researching the child slave labor and exploitation that occurs in the production of a lot of chocolate brands. I eat it almost daily, so even though I know many other products are produced using unfair methods, the fact that chocolate had injustice attached to it very much disheartened my love for it. Until…I learned about Fair Trade and actually found these brands quite common in grocery stores.

There are many brands of Christianity out there— enough to find quite a few in every grocery store, but you have to look hard for the Fair Trade brand. Not all stores carry it and the ones that do may have a limited selection. When you know what you’re looking for, though, it is not very hard to find. Simply skipping the candy aisle and walking toward the healthy section/baking section/weird section where you can find that Fair Trade logo is not all that difficult.

I think something important to remember is there are a lot of brands claiming the name “Christian” out there that do not fairly trade whatsoever and have no concern with the injustices of the world. But that does not mean the Fair Trade Christian does not exist. I would like to think I bear that label.

Just as every chocolate bar cannot say it has been made with the kindness of a human heart, promoting justice and equality, protecting those who cannot protect themselves, and making the world a better place, so every Christian cannot say the same. But there are some who can.

Remember when you look for a Christian, a chocolate bar, or any number of other things, a worthy and just one can be found. You need only look farther than the candy aisle.