It’s kind of funny how things come together sometimes. I was mulling over this particular subject for a long time. I had always wanted to write about it, but for some reason I just kept putting it off. So one Sunday I was sitting in church, and wouldn’t you know, the pastor spoke about this same topic. The best part is that it gave me a great quote to include that I had heard before but forgot about. I'll give you the quote first. I hate to say that I don't remember the exact context, but it was spoken by Ghandi. He said, “I like your Christ. I do not like you’re Christians. You’re Christians are so unlike you’re Christ.” During the message that last sentence was excluded, but I think that it is so vital to the subject.
I remember years ago working the front desk at a hotel. It was a smaller hotel, but it had a meeting room and a pool. That meant that we got a lot of groups wanting to book meetings/birthday parties/slumber parties/pool parties etc. What struck me when I started there was another employee telling me how much she dreaded church groups. I have to admit I was a little offended at the time, being myself a Christian. That lasted only until I experienced my first church group at the hotel. And I know that almost anyone in foodservice will say the same for the Sunday lunch rush as churches let out.
Let me give you one more example before I move on. I knew a couple that was going through a very difficult time in their marriage. The wife especially needed a lot of support. What I witnessed irritates me to this day. This wife had a best friend of many, many years. A friend claiming to be a Christian and very involved in the church. But this friend turned her back on the wife. It always seemed to be one excuse or another, but what it really came down to was that she was uncomfortable with the situation the wife was dealing with. The wife did end up finding the support she needed, but it was from friends who really didn’t go to church, and didn’t profess to be Christians. Please, don’t misunderstand me. By no means am I saying that it's unusual to find that kind of love, support and understanding from those who don't profess to be believers. Everyone is capable of that. But what does it say about the body of Christ that the one person who you would have expected above all others to lend support, turned away? All of these examples lead me right back to Ghandi. “Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
There is one other quote that comes to mind as I write this. I posted a song in another blog once titled “Stained Glass Masquerade.” The jacket to the CD included comments about each song from the songwriter, and I love what he said about this one. He said, “I don't think it bothers the world that we sin. I think it bothers the world that we act like we don't.”
In the end I’m left wondering what it is about Christans that makes the rest of the world feel and say what they do. Maybe it’s that sense of arrogance the songwriter spoke about. That we take for granted that we have been given a miraculous and totally undeserved gift of forgiveness, and instead of being completely humbled by it, we walk around like our s**t don’t stink. Maybe it’s just much broader than that. Maybe, like Ghandi said, we are simply unlike Christ. So concerned with just being in church on Sunday because it’s the moral/right/trendy/good etc. thing to do, but we don’t bother to dive deep and investigate the true meaning and cost of being a disciple. Or maybe Christians will just always be viewed more harshly and held to a different standard no matter what. After all, we’re foreigners here. Aliens. Strangers. We don’t belong. Christ said to expect it.
The catch is that, as Christians, we can’t use that as an excuse. We can't profess and show the love of God only when it's convenient for us, have somebody speaks ill of us because of it, then turn to God and thank Him for the persecution that we are experiencing.
As I’ve stood back over the last couple of years, I’ve seen all of this. In fact, as I look back at my own life I see it. And quite frankly, it’s disturbing. So, what’s the answer? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think there is any one particular answer. I do have a few more thoughts, but I think I’ll just leave them for another time and let you all comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment