I'm Afraid It's Us...

I have to be honest and tell you I’m getting pretty fed up with folks who think they are the only ones with the correct “take” on everything. I find myself having to confess the uneasy fact that I see this in the church as much as anywhere else. I mean, I expect it in politics, which is getting quite repulsive in its own way. Democrats blame the Republicans and vice versa when I think we can all agree there’s enough blame to go around several times. I even expect it in the world at large as we all have preferences about car brands, sports teams and the best way to cook a turkey. Everyone thinks they’re right.

But there is something particularly offensive to me, as a Christian, about those who are part of a growing group who believe their specific brand or sect of Christianity has all the right answers and opinions and are the final authorities on everything “spiritual.” I would agree with many who say we, as Christians, are under no obligation to please or pander to the whims of society and what they would like us to be. On the other hand, I do believe that since our own statistical data, compiled by Christian organizations and pollsters, reveals the world sees us as bigoted, phobic, intolerant and judgmental, it may be time for us to come out of our shells long enough to see if their impression of us is at all justified.

In most of the data I’ve seen over the last couple of decades, those outside the church have a generally favorable impression of Christ. However, those same folks have an overwhelmingly negative impression of Christians. My initial take is that one of us misunderstands who Jesus is and I'm afraid it's us. My guess is we’ve made a Jesus that looks an awful lot like us and therefore they reject Him. I wonder what would happen if we tried the opposite and we looked more like Him. I suspect the end result might be more positive for all of us.

In a world where we have access to nearly unlimited amounts of information, much of it unreliable and never verified before it is published on the Internet, we are quick to form judgments and opinions that end up making us look very foolish. I have pleaded with Christians to check the facts before reposting articles on Facebook. Some of those posts are years old, were not true when originally posted and time has not made them any more true. In short, we end up looking like horses’ behinds and then wonder why the world doesn’t pay any attention to us when we stand behind our pulpits and declare something to be true with the same fervor with which we “shared” our false claims and prejudiced remarks on the web. We hide behind vague claims of someone being “New Age” or “known to associate with liberals” or “emerging” as though simply our accusation makes them guilty and therefore rendering anything they’ve done, said or written worthless, without moral, social or spiritual significance.

It has occurred to me lately that Jesus Himself had lots of accusations very similar to these hurled at Him. I shudder to think what might have been had Jesus showed up in the age of Facebook and Twitter. Can you even imagine the lies, innuendos, and judgment?

I suppose what I’m a voice crying in the wilderness for is sanity, fairness, tolerance and grace. We’ve demonized those attributes in the church and equated them with a watered down, sinless Christianity. I disagree. I believe with all my heart Jesus was a man of fairness, tolerance and grace…like no other before or after. His motives were pure and his insight was keen. He did not come to condemn but to rescue and save…and this is why I follow Him.