So one day I was standing outside of my house, and my neighbor walks up to me. Mind you, she did not know me very well, but she thought that she was doing me the biggest favor in the world.
“I do not know where you stand with Jesus, but you should have this.” She commented to me, as she handed me a small booklet with what appeared to be people walking into hell. A bible tract! Not sure how to respond, I looked at her quizzically and then handed it back.
“Thank you very much, but I am a Christian. I actually go to school at Regent and am studying theology. You could probably give this to someone else.” I replied, trying to be as polite as possible. But the short Latino lady wanted nothing to do with my excuses.
“That means that you should take this! It would not hurt as a refresher.” Dumbfounded, I took her doom and gloom tract, wished her well and promptly placed it in my car. Her resolve grew stronger knowing that I was a student at Regent.
I got into my car, and thought about how we are perceived as Christians. In general, I can understand why people would not want to come to church. My mind begins to shift to the way in which the evangelists at the Virginia Beach oceanfront operate. I remember a time in which I witnessed them up on boxes telling homosexuals that they are going to hell. I was very torn in the moment as I watched the crowd heckling the men who were condemning them. They were teaching from the Bible, but there was no love or grace in the message, just condemnation.
So now I wonder, if this is all that a homosexual knew of Christians, why would he or she want to go to any church? The answer is they wouldn’t, because they figure that they would get yelled at about their lifestyle. There are few things that feel worse than putting yourself out there to meet new people and getting rejected before they even get to know you. Logically, it makes sense that they would be preemptive and avoid getting rejected and feeling condemned before it starts.
I also think of people who have had hardships or made bad choices. Someone who has had an abortion will probably keep her choice a secret if she went to church, or she would just avoid church all together to avoid any situations. I am glad that churches are now trying to help these people, instead of simply protesting and making the person feel worthless. They have worth, but they just made a bad choice.
As the church becomes increasingly aligned with the Republican Party, how would a Democrat feel in a church that is very pro-republican? I have heard too many people claim that Democrats can not be Christian, and I find that assumption to be insulting. I have known many Christians who were democrats, and they did not support every idea. Having grown up in a swing state, I understand how it would be a dangerous move to endorse one side fully and risk ostracizing the other. From another perspective, if an anti-Democrat message were spoken in Chicago, where the Democrats have dominated for years, that pastor would ostracize a lot of people.
I guess what this comes down to is whether we are condemning people or convicting them. Jesus convicted people, through his actions they were compelled to leave their self-destructive life styles behind. Matthew/Levi was practically a thief, Simon the Zealot was a religious extremist, and chances are Simon would have wanted to kill Matthew due to his affiliation with the Roman government. That is the power of Christ convicting them.
Condemnation, on the other hand takes someone’s hope and makes them feel as if they are not good enough. If someone feels as if they can not add up, they will try to get as far away as possible.
One of the greatest indicators is how we feel when we walk away from someone. If you feel drained and worthless, chances are you were not convicted. If you feel hopeful, then more than likely you were convicted. Conviction is not always pleasant, because sometimes the pruning that happens in our lives is not always the best. But in the end, it is for our growth and our health. I have learned that from experience. So in closing, can we remain committed to helping give people life, instead of giving them death?
