I have again picked up another book that I haven't read in a while. It's called UnChristian by David Kinnaman-if you haven't read it, I suggest you get yourself a copy. This isn't just for Youth Pastors or anyone else in a leadership position in the church...it's for everyone who calls themselves a Christian!
I can't seem to get over the fact that nearly 79% of our graduating high school seniors will walk away from the church during their college years. On the same token, I totally understand it...I mean look around. The culture around us has changed and our youth have begun to see through our facade.
It's not just because of our lifestyles as Christians but the way we convey the priorities of being a Christian. The common message they hear/get is that Christianity is a religion of rules and regulations. They think of us as hypocritical because they are measuring us by our own standards. Ironic huh?
Here's another nugget the book unveiled:
Christians are not defined by transparency but by adherence to rigid rules and strict standards.
So the question becomes: as a follower does your response to moral issues reflect complexcity? Are you honest with yourself about your own struggles? Do they motivate you to turn your heart-and that of others-towards God, seeking His ways to handle issues? Or are you too focused on maintaining the rules and regulations?
Now, there are those who would rather ignore the negative perception others have of us Christians-strugging it off saying 'it doesn't matter because outsiders just dont get it'. But what if God is revealing something to us in shift? I mean we can either get defensive about our image problem (that we are hypocritical), ignore it, or we could take culture's accusations of hypocrisy as God's wake up call to the overwhelming needs of others. What if He is using our culture to make us aware of our own hollow attempts and answers? Should we really ignore God's warning to us?
For example: Victoria left the church because of encounters with it's hypocritical churchgoers-they frustrated her and left her outside of the church.
Spirituality isn't measured by the number of sermons you hear, the piety of our lives, or the goodness of our actions. It's in the simple interactions and conversations we have with others in the hallways of our church, in the invitations we give (or don't give), the genuineness of concern, and how people respond to you and your child.
Victoria gave Christians a chance and found us hypocritical and judgmental. The way we react to people and to their life circumstances is also the measure of our spiritual maturity. Victoria didn't say we as Christians are hypocritical because she chose to reject kindhearted help that Christians offered her. Did she misunderstand the dozens of well-intentioned people? Was she oblivious to the men in the church who were trying to help, perhaps by taking her son fishing or to a basketball game? Nope! Instead she watched, waited, and listened for people like you and me to embrace her needs, to restore her life-and that of her son-to God's purposes. Did she make a mistake? Sure, but so did the Christians around her.
You see, the 'UnChristian' faith says it is important to remind Victoria that a single parent family is not as good as a married family. It tells us to keep giving her advice, without love or genuine interest, about how to raise her son. It leads us to believe we should know because we have it all together.
Chew on this for a challenge: Read Matthew 23:4 and think about the overwhelming perception young people have of us as Christians-as hypocrites. Does your life point people to a life in Christ that bursts with freedom to love, restoraiton, purity, and transparency? Or are you burying people-insiders and outsiders-under the weight of a self-righteous life?
2 comments:
Way to make up for the lack of July-posting with a beast like one :)
This sounds like a good book, one of those books that makes you not only think about what you are doing wrong, but how and why you should change whatever that is. I think that is a problem I have, it is easy to see what is wrong, but not easy to actually fix, or even attempt to change whatever that thing is. Yeah, we can say people are dying of starvation and disease, but are we willing to do something about it? Sure, why not? Ok well then why don't we? Yeah.
WOW! i must agree with pitcher12k, this particular blog is SO true! i must admit, im a hypicrite at times, but i hope and pray im not one to push others away. pitcher states another good pointe of using starvation in the world, we are ALL well aware of the millions of men, women and children who are starving in this crumbling world, but what are we doing about it? i'm anxious to read Hypocritical part due! thanks for such a thought provoking blog, i miss em ;) way to go babe!
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