When did Christians lose their backbone?
And when did we forget how to love?
When I look at Christianity today, I'm disappointed by what I see. I see two groups forming. One group (I'll call them "conservatives" for lack of a better name) is solid in the foundations of Christianity, but has forgotten how to love. The other group, the "liberals", is loving but has forgotten its roots.
The first group is what you might call "conservative" Christians. This group stands firm in Biblical traditions, and despite heavy opposition they are still rock-solid in their faith, both in Christ and his commands. For this I give them a lot of respect. The dedication to God that it shows is incredible. They know their Bible, and they stand strongly by it.
However, they're not doing much for evangelism. The conservatives come off as arrogant and hostile to newcomers. Outsiders are treated as inferior objects to be converted. A "one size fits all" plan is used to cause the newcomer to behave properly as a Christian, believe the creeds and ideals of a Christian, and then belong in the Christian community. Any potential convert must immediately agree with all of the ideals of the host church before they are accepted as an equal member of the community. I've felt this first-hand in churches where I did not fit the mold. It's hurtful and definitely not effective for ministry.
The second group is the "liberal" Christians. They are less concerned with tradition and more concerned with loving those in and around their community. They are accepting of everyone, allowing them to reach a much wider audience than "conservative" Christians. Their ability to love is unparalleled, and for this I give them great respect. They follow a much more effective model of evangelism: the newcomer belongs in the community from the start, and through this sense of belonging explores and develops their belief, and then learns how to behave as a Christian.
What I cannot respect is their tendency to cave towards whatever issue hits the political spotlight. "Liberal" Christians tend to tailor their faith to be whatever is most pleasing to the eye of the public, whether it agrees with God's Word or not. Scripture has lost its value. They aren't willing to offend anyone with their beliefs, even when those beliefs are Biblical. I've seen whole churches derail into bizarre half-churches that meet in fellowship but have lost the element that originally bound them together: Christ's message.
This leaves us with a dilemma. One church loves but wavers, the other stands firm but doesn't love.
So what's wrong? Where have we lost the way?
I think the key is politics.
We've allowed spiritual issues to be recast as agendas, and that makes them open for debate. Debate leads to division, and division leads to failure. Even our labels have bled into our spirituality. We have to be "conservative" or "liberal" Christians, "traditional" or "contemporary".
So why can't we put our agendas aside and find middle ground? Why can't we just work for the good of each other?
Maybe you're like me. You prefer a contemporary service to a traditional one. How do you step into the middle ground? Remember that worship isn't about how you feel or whether you enjoy it. Worship is about bringing praise to our God. This is fundamental to our faith. You can't rewrite worship for the sake of what people want. Christianity doesn't change just to make people happy. We try to tone our beliefs back to make people comfortable, but that wasn't how Jesus did things. He pushed people out of their comfort zones and into his glorious light.
Let's try something more complicated. Maybe you believe homosexuality is a sin. How can you step into the middle ground? Realize that regardless of the answer there, sexuality doesn't determine salvation. Faith does. In the words of Pope Francis, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" I have Christian friends who are gay, lesbian, and bisexual. If I believe that God will ignore their faith in Christ's salvation on account of their gender preference, then I don't believe in the God of the Bible at all. And if we say homosexuality is a sin, is God going to punish it more harshly than any other sin? Of course not! My gay Christian friends are going to heaven with me, or I'm going to hell with them. Simple as that.
The point of the church isn't to wall ourselves in against the evils of the world, nor is it to be a social club that caters to its followers. It is meant to be an outpost of God's love, showing the world that there is hope even in the darkness.
So where does that leave us?
With a church that loves and leads. With a community that cares and communicates. Where rock-solid faith meets a belong/believe/behave mentality. Where newcomers are welcomed, treated as equals, and brought gently into a faith that can be nurtured to fruition. Where lines are drawn and then crossed. Where love is born.
Where heaven meets Earth.
Song for tonight: How He Loves by David Crowder. I think we need to stop and remember this once and awhile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ
So take a chance. Step into the middle ground. See what God does.
I guarantee, He'll reveal great and terrible things. It won't be easy.
But it'll be amazing.
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