Christ vs. Christians

I’ve heard it said a lot over the past year.

I Love Christ but I can’t stand Christians.

This has been said by both people I know and world-known leaders. I was reading notes by Tony Morgan about an interview with Bono during the Willow Creek Leadership Conference and he mentioned something similar.

[Bono]'s never had a problem with Christ, but Christians have been difficult for him. Christians seem strange to him. They can be very judgmental. They tend to judge people by surface problems.

Finally I began to understand the “I Love Christ but not Christians” statement.

This came even clearer when I read this entry by author Phyllis Reynolds about a Christian man who stole a book from the library because the child questioning their faith didn’t come around to Christianity in the end.

Why is it that Christians seem to be the most intolerant people I know? Why do we come to Christianity thinking that we’ll be safe there and that things won’t change or upset us?

Christ upset everyone he came in contact with. Where he went things changed. He certainly didn’t live safe, and neither did his disciples. Want to die by hanging upside down on a cross?

Then there’s the intolerance. Truly, what Christ intolerant? I’ve been listening to some talks with people related to the XXX church who are out ministering to porn stars. They have received threats, attacks and everything by, you guessed it, Christians.

I’ve finally figured out that people like this do exist around me. There was recently some discussion about moving a youth activity because of some drug activity that happens around the corner.

I’m not saying that I want our teens going and selling/buying drugs. At the same time some of them do have friends who are involved with drugs. I want them as far away as possible, but I also want them to love these people (kind of a clash, I know). I want all of us to not be afraid of the normal screw-ups around us.

I don’t want us running away from awkward situations. Honestly, I don’t even want us running away from some unsafe situations. How can we show non-Christians the beauty of what it means to be Christian by avoiding them?

I guess it’s a good thing I’m not the youth minister... huh?

Truthfully though, we have some absolutely amazing parents. They’ve recognized that the teens are not involved in the activity (I don’t think any of them have even seen or know it existed) and have decided to put a little control while still letting them stay.

I can’t ever explain how amazing these adults are. People so committed to kids that they’ll volunteer and help out even if they don’t come to our church and even when it doesn’t benefit their kids directly.

These people are the Christians I like to spend time with. They’re the people I strive to be.

Peace,
+Tom/Bob

posted by Tom at 8:40 PM