Chance Encounters

I had the strangest encounter today - and also probably the most thought-provoking conversation I've had in a while.

Was mildly debating the importance of Christianity denominations with a quasi-friend (why am I not better friends with this guy?) when an old, white man jumps into our conversation.

A few sentences later and I have to part ways with my quasi-friend and I'm talking to this guy alone.
Turns out he's a pastor and heavily involved in CMDA. Kinda interesting.

I have a problem with authority (i know i know) especially when I don't believe it yet. So his tone is a little bit too "let-me-teach-you-young-one" for me to swallow with humble grace. But it's interesting.

Here is the question:
Does everything need to have a label?

His answer was yes.
I, being facetious, replied: including love?
He nodded and said: Yes, this is why Paul wrote about love in Corinthians ... etc.
I quickly retracted my example because I do think marriage is a form of a label to define love - as well as dating and such.

This is fascinating. Because, believe you me, I am the queen of labels. Sometimes I don't believe I'm friends with someone unless we have both professed "friendship" and confirmed that we are friends. I label my thoughts. This is angry because of that. This is emotional because of this. I label sections in my blog posts.
A consideration:
A rant:
A thought:
etc.

But one thing that I do not label is my denomination. If someone asked me my religion, the only answer really is Christian. But if you ask for denomination, I say nondenominational, but probably closest to Southern Baptist. I've never really found it necessary to figure out all the odds and ends of the different types of Christianity because I figured what I believe is the Bible and that is the end of that. Nondenominational suits me just fine. (Not to mention, both of my churches have been labeled "Chinese churches" which usually end up nondenominational anyways).

But talking to this dude, he was saying something along the lines that nondenominational just doesn't want the responsibility of submitting to specific theology.
Interesting. Is that true? I'm not sure. I think for myself, it was mostly ugh it's just a bunch of finicky people arguing about (most of the time) not so important aspects of Christianity. I highly subscribe to the idea of Mere Christianity, where the fundamentals are the most important. When I mentioned this, though, he brought up the idea that not all groups of Christianity could be defined as Christian (he mentioned Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons). So defining your denomination could make a difference in terms of Christianity.

Fair enough. I accept that as true.
But is it important for me to figure out my own "denominational label"? I just really don't think so.
Or is that not true? Because the denomination and the different sects split on major issues of the Bible and other aspects. And I think I do know all my stances on the different topics - I just don't quite know the names of all of them.
Sometimes I feel like - for me, as long as God and I know, everything else doesn't matter. 
But like baptism, it is important that the world knows? I end that sentence on a question mark because I am not sure.
One doesn't need a denomination for salvation. God makes that clear. But to show your stance in the world? Maybe?? Is nondenominational just hedging one's bets? 

Am I neglecting my faith if I do not know exactly which sides of these topics I stand on?

Regardless of the faith topic as well, this whole conversation also leaves me with the question of: does everything need a label?

He left me his card and the encouragement to email him to continue the discussion as "friends".
I am just amused.
Probably not, because I need to trust someone's ethos before I go asking for their opinion and advice. But I probably will see him around.

I haven't had a question-thought like this in a while. Mental candy. Quite fun.