Saturday, April 18, 2009
"Church Type"
A funny thing happened to me today. I went up to Saginaw Valley to hangout with one of my friends who goes to school there. His girlfriend was also there, which is fine with me. But when we were at dinner he told me that she was worried about me. Which was weird and naturally I asked why? He said that he had told her that I was the “church type” and thats why she was worried. I don’t understand why she would be worried. It’s not like I am gonna start ripping into her by preaching the fire and brimstone of hell! What is it about Christians that make people so uncomfortable at times? I am not going to be judgmental, which is a common stereotype of Christians. It would be very hypocritical for me to judge others because I am certainly not perfect, not even close. I guess that just kinda struck me funny when he said that. I don’t want that, because while I do go to church, I am not the “church type” that she is thinking about. I hope that while I was here and around her I showed Christ but in a different way then she thought of. Not in the judgmental, your going to hell if you don’t believe in God kind of way but rather in showing love through the way the I acted. I hope that I showed God’s love in my actions and that she could see Christ in me. I hope that she saw that Christians are not a group of judgmental hypocrites but people who have shortcomings just like everyone else does but who just have something more to there lives, how our lives are completed with God. Although we sin and have failures and shortcomings we are perfected in Christ.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Us christians get a bad rap sometimes by the actions of others - its frustrating.
ReplyDeleteor maybe it's our own actions that give a misrepresentation of who we are. I perpetuate the myth that all Christians are judgmental, through my actions, through my words, and if you could read minds, through my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not exactly sure if the judgment thing was why she was worried. That is definitely not the reaction that typifies those who consider Christians judgmental.
I think maybe its alittle of both. Its sad that a lot of Christians ARE judgmental - its not our place to judge. We are all sinners. We all live in a fallen world.
ReplyDeleteyeah i agree, we shouldn't judge others on their shortcomings because we have our own to worry about.
ReplyDelete"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye." Matthew 7:3
i wasn't aware that their was a specific reaction that was associated with the worry of being judged? it seems to me like that was the case, isn't that always the case? that someone is worried about being judged and preached to about changing their ways otherwise they will have to deal with the Fire and Brimestone of Hell....? cause i certainly didn't do that, i don't think thats why people should change their ways, they should do it because it is a better way to live.
it is a much better way to live i so agree......though fire and brimstone is not a very good thought - the thought of eternal seperation from Christ is way worse!
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that there isn't one standard definition of "Christian". There's the fire and brimstone type that I grew up with, who also would cry on and on in public about the lying and stealing they did throughout the week, only to do it again the next. Then there are Christians who view it as their duty to publically ridicule others for any deviation from the Bible they perceive. Then there are totally mainstream Americans like me who see value in inclusion of everyone, with (attempted) congruence in action and word, with teaching God's will subtly. Unless you understand her basis of experience with the definition, she may always feel that way.
ReplyDelete