I read a scathing indictment of Christians today. To be fair, the author flat-out stated that his intent was not to specifically criticize Christians, a goal which I think that he largely kept throughout the course of the piece. The purpose of the article was to point out the hypocrisy of many people (Christian or otherwise), who belong to a religion that teaches love, and yet are so hateful of so many individuals who are different from themselves - the homeless, the tattooed, the druggies, the criminals, and the homosexuals, to just name a few commonly ostracized categories.
However, with a title like "I'm Christian, unless you're gay," the article was sure to ruffle a few feathers, many of them Christian feathers. One response was particularly moving. A Christian woman wrote into the author, describing how his story had affected her son, herself, and eventually their entire city. She wrote about how her son, after reading this story, had finally found the courage to come out of the closet. About her initial anger and repulsion, until she realized that she was the acting just like the very person that this article was criticizing so strongly. About how, because of her son's bravery, not just herself, but many other so-called Christians in her city, are now re-thinking their attitudes towards those who are different from themselves, and are beginning to choose love, not hate. About how a revival is beginning to sweep across the entire town because of the actions of this one young man.
Hearing this story struck a chord with me. I remember my first few months on Gyeongju, and my interactions with the many foreigners living here. I remember my acceptance of the fact that most of them were not Christians - this was the first time in my life that I had been living in a predominantly non-Christian environment. I remember my astonishment at realizing just how many people had an instinctive, knee-jerk reaction of hate and repulsion when they heard the word "Christian" - and my sadness once I fully understood just how legitimate their reasons for not liking Christians were.
It is true that the Christian God is a God of justice, and holiness, and sinlessness. It is true that He cannot tolerate sin, and that eventually everyone will be judged according to His perfect standard, and that anyone who does not have the blood of Jesus covering them will be condemned. But somehow, somewhere along the way, Christians have gotten it into their head that judging others, is their job, that condemning others is their responsibility. How on earth did we come up with that?? We are just as sinful as the next person, just as broken as the drug addict bouncing in and out of rehab, just as completely unqualified to judge our neighbor as anyone else.
No, our job is not to judge. Our job is to love. And here's the thing. You don't have to agree with someone to love them. You don't have to condone their lifestyle choice or participate in their sin or be an enabler for their bad behavior for you to put your arm around someone and tell them that you love them, that you are here for them. Whatever happened to love the sinner, hate the sin? You can disagree with someone and still love them.
The Church these days is suffering from an epidemic of self-appointed demi-gods, people who think that they are the only perfect beings in their lives, and that anyone who is different from them is worthy of their condemnation. But we are supposed to be witnesses for the character of Jesus Himself. If we act like that, if we give the impression that Jesus is as condemning as we are, why on earth would anyone ever want to enter into a relationship with Him??
January is long gone, but it is never too late to turn over a new leaf. This week, I encourage you to choose love, not hate. Put your arm around someone who you would normally shy away from. Give a kind word to someone that you would normally ignore. Help someone you would normally assume could help themselves. As we saw from the example of the Christian woman's son whose actions alone sparked a revival in his town, it does not take much for God to start moving. All He needs is someone - one person, 2 people, maybe a small group - who is willing to live for Him. Who is willing to be a testimony for their town. Who is willing to not only read the Bible, not only know what it says, but to truly follow it, to truly be a witness for Jesus' character. That is what God needs. Are you willing?
However, with a title like "I'm Christian, unless you're gay," the article was sure to ruffle a few feathers, many of them Christian feathers. One response was particularly moving. A Christian woman wrote into the author, describing how his story had affected her son, herself, and eventually their entire city. She wrote about how her son, after reading this story, had finally found the courage to come out of the closet. About her initial anger and repulsion, until she realized that she was the acting just like the very person that this article was criticizing so strongly. About how, because of her son's bravery, not just herself, but many other so-called Christians in her city, are now re-thinking their attitudes towards those who are different from themselves, and are beginning to choose love, not hate. About how a revival is beginning to sweep across the entire town because of the actions of this one young man.
Hearing this story struck a chord with me. I remember my first few months on Gyeongju, and my interactions with the many foreigners living here. I remember my acceptance of the fact that most of them were not Christians - this was the first time in my life that I had been living in a predominantly non-Christian environment. I remember my astonishment at realizing just how many people had an instinctive, knee-jerk reaction of hate and repulsion when they heard the word "Christian" - and my sadness once I fully understood just how legitimate their reasons for not liking Christians were.
It is true that the Christian God is a God of justice, and holiness, and sinlessness. It is true that He cannot tolerate sin, and that eventually everyone will be judged according to His perfect standard, and that anyone who does not have the blood of Jesus covering them will be condemned. But somehow, somewhere along the way, Christians have gotten it into their head that judging others, is their job, that condemning others is their responsibility. How on earth did we come up with that?? We are just as sinful as the next person, just as broken as the drug addict bouncing in and out of rehab, just as completely unqualified to judge our neighbor as anyone else.
No, our job is not to judge. Our job is to love. And here's the thing. You don't have to agree with someone to love them. You don't have to condone their lifestyle choice or participate in their sin or be an enabler for their bad behavior for you to put your arm around someone and tell them that you love them, that you are here for them. Whatever happened to love the sinner, hate the sin? You can disagree with someone and still love them.
The Church these days is suffering from an epidemic of self-appointed demi-gods, people who think that they are the only perfect beings in their lives, and that anyone who is different from them is worthy of their condemnation. But we are supposed to be witnesses for the character of Jesus Himself. If we act like that, if we give the impression that Jesus is as condemning as we are, why on earth would anyone ever want to enter into a relationship with Him??
January is long gone, but it is never too late to turn over a new leaf. This week, I encourage you to choose love, not hate. Put your arm around someone who you would normally shy away from. Give a kind word to someone that you would normally ignore. Help someone you would normally assume could help themselves. As we saw from the example of the Christian woman's son whose actions alone sparked a revival in his town, it does not take much for God to start moving. All He needs is someone - one person, 2 people, maybe a small group - who is willing to live for Him. Who is willing to be a testimony for their town. Who is willing to not only read the Bible, not only know what it says, but to truly follow it, to truly be a witness for Jesus' character. That is what God needs. Are you willing?
John 8:2-11
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
