While interning at a Chicago church, I received a phone call during a church potluck from a young man with a lot of questions and complaints about Christianity. In the midst of our conversation, I asked him what his views on Christianity were. He replied, “I think it’s phony.” When I asked him why, he said, “Because Christians don’t act like they’re supposed to.”
“Christians Don’t Act Like They’re Supposed To”
This wasn’t the first time I’d heard this from a non-believer. In fact, of all the reasons for not believing in Christ, this has to be one of the main reasons told to me by teens. The comments afterwards usually include, “They all seem to hang out with each other, but nobody else”; “they treat everyone like they are better than us”; or “they’re all stuck-up snobs,” demonstrating this by pushing up on the tips of their noses.
Granted, “Christian” kids are growing kids who are not only dealing with living as Christians in a secular school, but also with other teenage issues, but what excuse do adults have who are acting in the same way? Though not in the same words, I have heard these complaints from adults, both from non-believers, and from many others who confessed Christ as their Lord and Savior. Once the cliques’ form, they attempt to raise themselves above others. If somebody outside the “higher powered” clique has an idea for the church, good luck at getting it put into play. And go figure, every clique believes they’re only doing God’s will.
Instead of everybody joining together as equal members of God’s family, thus working together for the same purpose, Christians often split into groups of people who are similar, thus pushing away people who are different, becoming comfortable with the choices made, and defensive when these choices are challenged. This is not only happening within the churches, but also within the whole Church Body.
When the military sets up several troops in a particular area, they’re all working together for a common mission. There’s no point in competing against one another, for not only do they accomplish their mission better through teamwork, but they also realize that they were all sent by the same Commander in Chief.
When it comes to churches, it seems they’re all fighting for souls, much like how gangs fight for territory. If a majority of the churches (assuming not all churches are Christian-based) were all sent by the same Commander in Chief (Christ), then why do they each seem to compete with the other for membership? Shouldn’t they all be working together? Did Jesus give them a different mission? Focus, maybe, but lost souls are lost souls. And technically-speaking, how is this any different from a division in the Body?
A Theological Reflection
When God brought His people out of Egypt and into the wilderness, He gave them His Law, which consisted of rules and regulations that He expected them to follow. This was intended to train them to become as God’s people. Notice that the first two (or one, depending on your denomination) Commandments are to worship God, only God, and to not make any idols or images, for that would lead to taking their focus off God, and onto other gods. But by focusing on God in everything, then sinning, which would break other parts of the Law, would be further from one’s desires. And the fact that God gave penalties for breaking the Law, shows just how serious He is about His people being different (and standing out) from those of other nations.
In Romans 11:17-19, Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they were not originally invited in to the Promise, for it was only because of the many Jews who chose not to believe, that God grafted them into their places. Therefore, by accepting Christ as Lord, God has made us part of the Nation Israel, too, thus becoming God’s people. But as God’s people, there must also be a transformation in our characters.
Paul stressed that humankind should observe Christians as servants of Christ, stewards of God’s secrets, and servants who prove to be trustworthy of such a calling. Paul’s not saying that because Christians are in the spotlight, we should thefore show off to others, but instead that we should actually take on Christ’s humble character as our own so that the nations may know God through us. He adds that Christians should agree wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose (NLT). Our attitudes should be the same as Christ’s who “made Himself nothing”. Also, “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing; and (since we live) in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people, live clean, innocent lives as God’s children.” Timothy is then used as an example of one who is worthy of his calling.
Standing Out to the World
Jesus told His followers that they are the salt to the world, standing out to all the nations as His followers. But if salt loses its saltiness, then it is worthless, and thrown among the sand. I would like to add also that if the salt never leaves the saltshaker, then it too is worthless, for salt only fulfills its purpose when it lands on and alters the taste of our food.
Yes, Christians stand out in the world, but is it in a good way or bad? For what good is it if Christians only love those who love them? Even pagans do that. Or if Christians are only nice to those who are nice back, isn’t this still acting as the pagans? Christians have been called to be different, as the people in the wilderness were called to be different. God’s people must stand out as light in a dark world. For example, ushers at a show can see a lot more in the dark with their flashlights than those without. For this reason, guests often call upon them in order to guide them to their seats. As Christians, the light in us (Holy Spirit) allows us to see a lot more in a dark world, than those without. Therefore, Christians too must stand out to the nations if we are to guide them to Christ. But in order for this to happen, Christians must focus on God in everything.
When Christians come together for Communion, it’s not just a partaking of giving thanks and remembrance of Jesus, but also taking part in the unity of Christ’s Body, bonded together by Christ’s blood, which He shed for us. For, even though there are many, all were baptized into one Body. But if the arm refuses the leg’s help, then the Body cannot move forward. And if the foot refuses to include the hand, then the Body cannot touch those who it reaches out to. If Christ is not head of the whole Body, then the Body divides. If the body divides, then everything the Church does is done in vain, and it cannot fulfill its mission, for who can command a divided army? Therefore, as the Nation Israel, we must remember who our Commander in Chief is, and focus on His mission as one united nation under God.
My Own Conclusions About Appropriate Responses:
One year, while visiting relatives, I sparked up a conversation about Jesus with my aunt. She was brought up in a Christian household, but later converted to Judaism when she married a Jewish fellow, who is now my uncle. In our conversation, she said that she doesn’t believe Jesus is the Messiah at all. But what convinced her to convert to Judaism was how everybody is treated as members of one big family. Nobody is outside, everybody is accepted, and works together as God’s people. They’re the Nation Israel, and they behave as such even in their daily fellowships outside the synagogue. This is how my aunt expected Christians to behave, but when she looked and didn’t find such, her disappointment led her to look elsewhere.
Jesus was a Jew who grew up in the Jewish culture. In the Jewish culture all throughout history, when someone became unclean, they were cast out of the community. The people feared being cast out of the community, for the social connection was so strong, that to be cast out was hell. Therefore, if Jews demonstrate God’s love in their behavior of community, and Christians don’t demonstrate Christ’s love in their behavior of community, then I can understand why, according to my aunt’s observations, she still doesn’t see a connection between the Jewish Messiah and Jesus.
The people who wrote the New Testament knew Jesus personally. We trust them to tell us about Jesus in order that we may too know Him personally. If a Jew were to meet Jesus today in the flesh, observed His behavior, and compared it to what the Gospels say about Him, would he come to the realization of Jesus as the Christ? What about non-Jewish unbelievers? Since Jesus has been raised, those who don’t know Jesus personally must look to His followers. If we who are His followers are not communicating Christ in our behaviors towards even one another, along with what it means to be the Nation Israel, then we may need to question just what message it is in fact that we are communicating to the world.
If we are Christ’s disciples, then we must take on His character as our own. It’s not enough to know the scriptures, if we don’t apply our lives to them personally, as Christ’s disciples did. And one cannot truly say they have a close relationship with Jesus if they don’t obey Him. Therefore, if Christians don’t act as Christ has called us to, then non-believers will continue to turn away from Christianity, and look for God elsewhere. It’s only when people are able to see/know Christ through us that we can honestly acknowledge, “We are Christians, and this is what it means to be a member of God’s family.”
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