There has been something weighing heavy on my heart lately... actually, its not something new, and its not something I haven't already written about. In fact, if you know me at all, I've probably talked your ear off about this subject if you've given me the chance.
It is my ardent dislike (I can't say "hate" although I'm running out of reasons not to) of a thing I like to refer to as "American Christianity." Its different than true Christianity... actually, I would venture as far to say it is an imposter of true Christianity. It is a cheap rip-off, that if it were a physical object, you could purchase it only in Mexico where it would be laying on a folding table between the fake Rolex watches and Oakley sunglasses.
Why am I so critical? Well, the Christian Church in America is living Christianity out of context, that's why. Yep, I said it. We missed the boat big time. We completely missed our true mission, and have been off on a rabbit trail for about 2000 years now. We are truly the lost ones... not the non-Christians.
What evidence do I have? Well, for one, we are hated. If we were to poll the non-Christians (our "mission field"), our approval rating would make President Bush look like Ghandi. Now, I don't want to hear any stupid automatic response that comes from the propaganda we've been brainwashed with, like "We aren't supposed to be popular" or "God's ways are not man's ways" or "Jesus wasn't popular, that's why they killed him. Are you willing to die?" Its all bullcrap and totally irrelevant!
How do you really think the Church should look? Should it look like a bunch of lunatics with signs picketing and chanting anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-"sin" taglines that only alienates people further and confuses the issue of who Jesus is and why do they need him as their Savior?
And why on earth would they want to have anything to do with us? What do we have to offer? Sometimes I wonder if Jesse Ventura was right when he said that church is a crutch for the weak-minded. Okay, so maybe that's going a little too far. But seriously, what have we done lately? If we look back on the last few years, what major changes have we made to society in the United States? Dig deeper than the colorful WWJD bracelets, Prayer of Jabez, and Purpose Filled Life crap that decorates practically a whole section all unto itself at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. All I can think of is one sickening fad after another that offered no real changes. Seriously, how many times did you stop whatever you were doing and ask yourself "What would Jesus do?" because you noticed the stupid bracelet on your wrist. If it was so transforming, why did you take it off? Why aren't you wearing it still today? Why can't I go into a Christian bookstore and buy one anymore? Is it because it worked so well that everyone was transformed and has it practically automatically programmed in their minds so they no longer need the actual reminder around their wrist... or is it because its no longer popular and wasn't making money?
Why is it that we are known more for our judgement and condemnation than for anything else? Who appointed us the moral police officers of the universe anyway? I seem to vaguely remember a verse that said something about not pointing out a speck in someone's eye... can anyone refresh my memory as to how that ends? I'm pretty sure that it wasn't "feel free to point out the log in your neighbor's eye because it pales in comparison to the speck in your own." Although you wouldn't know it by the way we act, would you?
Remember in the Bible, when Jesus sent the disciples out on what I believe was their first missionary journey without him? They asked that if he wasn't going with them, how would people know who they were? It's a valid question... I mean, would you recognize any of The Heartbreakers unless they were with Tom Petty... or how about the Max Weinberg 7 without Max Weinberg? Jesus responded by assuring them that it was going to be okay because the people would know they were his disciples by their love. Interesting. Not by their words, or their bracelets, or their bumper stickers, or their judgement, or their condemnation, or their passing of "Christian" laws. By their love.
The way they treated the strangers, by loving them, would be enough to identify them as followers of Jesus... the first Christians.
How are we doing at that? Is the way we are treating others compelling them to investigate this Jesus that we follow... or is it repelling them?
Here's the other thing I believe the Church is failing miserably at... evangelism. But then again, when you're one of, if not THE most hated people group in the United States, and you can't get any good press because you keep screwing yourself over by sticking your nose where it doesn't belong (ie, the press, politics, etc), it makes it kind of hard to convince people that the God you love and serve is actually worth following. Gee... I wonder why?
Remember when Jesus was talking to Peter and He referred to him as the rock He was going to build His church on? Remember what he said next? "The gates of hell will not prevail." Think about that... that was Jesus' original vision of what the church would be. How would it look to have this thing called "The Church"? Everyone is known to be followers of Christ because of the way they love each other, and its so powerful that the gates of Hell itself will not prevail. Think about that a little deeper too... when was the last time you brought gates with you into a war? You don't do you? Gates are a defensive mechanism, not an offensive weapon. So what this verse is really laying out is that Jesus' original vision of the Church was that it would be a group of people that were literally storming the gates of Hell... attacking Hell itself and rescuing the lost.
I'm actually ashamed to think, or to know, how miserably the American Church is failing at this right now. Sure, we have altar calls... but what kind of follow up to we offer? What kind of structure do we extend? We're good at coming up with fads that will fade quickly and play as embarassingly as the mix tapes I made when I was in junior high... but what else?
So what does this mean for you and I? How should we live? What can we do? Well, like I've said before, it all comes down to love. Love your God, and love your neighbor... all of the law hangs on this. And they will know we are His followers by our love. And how will we know that we're on the right track? The gates of hell will not prevail.
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