There are attacks on Christ and his church reported daily, hourly, in newspapers around the globe - from super left-wing radical this and thats, Muslim extremists, liberal atheists and just plain outright haters - but some of the worst damage seems to emanate directly from those who claim to love and follow our Lord himself. Anyone who claims to be a Christian can, and frankly often does, wittingly or unwittingly, fall into this category, but the sins committed in the name of Jesus carry the extra special ability to distort and maim not only fellow humans, but the very vessel through which we hope to use to reach them, namely the church body itself.
My love for Jesus is often visibly muted in an effort to dissociate from the common representation of his church. Of course, I am no better than the lowliest of the low, this very acknowledgement requisite to membership in the family of Christ, but I am also keenly aware of the embarrassments of my extended family. I cringe at the gullibility of Christians on the radio to buy into all sorts of health scams and money-making schemes, the environmentally irresponsible and ignorant attitudes of those specifically entrusted with caring for God's marvelous creation, the judgmental posturing, homogeneous expectations and the ethno- and geo-centric narrowmindedness of the American Christian Church in general.
Christ has been lost in the shuffle, pushed aside for the latest program or protest. Love has been limited to proper social circles, sexual orientations or political beliefs. Even Christian worship has become prescribed, mass produced and dull.
I am certainly not beyond reproach and know that I am simply ranting. My own heart needs as much forgiveness as those whose generalities I rail against. I in no way believe that we can just choose whatever is comfortable for us in the Bible and live by those things and reject the dictates of our Lord that make us uncomfortable. That would be equally ignorant. Yet other than God's truths made known through nature and science all around us, we, as God's creatures, are the best advertisement he's got for the love the Christ - and we can so easily paint a very frightening, unappealing and even evil looking picture!
Where is the love of Christ? Where are the repentant hearts and minds bent on reconciliation and peace? When our Lord returns, what will he find in us, in those who claim to love and obey him?
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4 comments:
i'm sorry if it's silly in comparison with the subject of your post, but your use of the phrase "mass produced" made me giggle.
Now that I'm done ranting and I reread this, yes, that was a bit funny. I was never a Catholic so I did not originally make any connection. I was thinking of those popular worship CD's that some folks enjoy singing along with. Corporate worship of God, versus the personal, one-on-one worship we need to cultivate in our private devotional lives. Stuff like that. Thanks for bringing it to my notice, though. I can use that pun somewhere, somehow . . .
Yes, Chritians are certainly far from perfect. That's probably why we are encouraged to look elsewhere.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
Absolutely and Amen!
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