The Barna Group, a respected Christian survey organization, recently asked young people to identify which perceptions they most strongly associate with Christianity. The three most commonly agreed-upon were: anti-homosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical.
Westboro Baptist church has made headlines with their “God hates fags” philosophy where they protest soldiers funerals. Also making headlines are abortion clinics being bombed & protests for nearly everything under the sun.
At almost every event with a large crowd you can find “the megaphone man” yelling about hell and eternal damnation.
All in the name of Jesus??
If this is the Christianity the world sees than no wonder many people are not interested.
My dear friend Katelyn posted this awesome quote:
I have decided to stop letting political and religious organizations represent me on the issues. I have decided to represent myself, and in so doing I hope to accurately represent Christ.
-Mike Foster “Unchristain”
Dear friends, Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of Jesus.
We are imperfect people for sure. Our attempts to model Jesus are clumsy at best. He calls us, imperfect and broken, to transform us so we are no longer the same. We just don’t always leave the old us behind.
Please don’t reject Christ because of Christians. We are still trying to wrap our head around the God of the universe wanting to make disciples out of us.
Despite our misrepresentation, Jesus was a pretty amazing guy.
He was the preacher of all preachers yet you could find him dining with some of the worst “sinners” of his day. Mark 2:15
He was the King of all the universe yet he was born to regular people in a palace no wait, a manger. Luke 2:7
He deserved servants and crowns, yet he washed his disciples feet. John 13 1-17
He is the only one that was or ever will be worthy of all the fame and fortune of the world, yet he was a servant. Mark 9:35
He spoke love into the people no one loved. John 4
He would touch those no one else would touch. Mark 1:40-45
He did nothing wrong, but he never tried to defend himself. John 18:28-38
He could have had a thousand Angels come to take his place on the cross, but he took mine instead. John 19:28-30
I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion.
The Jesus I know is turning the world upside down with his love. The less I get in the way the better he can “advertise” through me.
Have you ever witnessed a not so great “advertisment” for Jesus?
-Katie
