Here's Your Sign

“The truth is only uncomfortable for those who are not living by the truth.” 

This is a direct quote from an email I received in response to my blog entitled, “Love is Our Savior;Our Savior is Love.”

The implication of the email as a whole was that, based on what I wrote in my blog, I am not living by God's truth.  For some Christians, living by the truth means they must outwardly and actively pursue what they believe to be God’s agenda.  Whether it is His agenda or not, the manner in which they take action is often quite un-godly.  Let me give you some examples:

If I stand on a street corner and quietly hand out a pamphlet which shares the story of God’s love for humanity in sending His son, Jesus, to die upon the cross for our salvation and redemption… is that un-godly?  No.

If I cook a meal and take it to a sick friend, is that un-godly?  No.

If I take food and clothing to city shelters in need of supplies, is that un-godly?  No.

If I quietly observe the people around me and reach out to anyone who has a need, praying for them and doing whatever I can to help, is that un-godly?  No.

These are all actions of love.  They are not done to gain exposure to oneself.  They are not done to increase one’s income.  They are not done to build one’s ego.  They are done simply as an extension of God’s love.  They carry a message of love through an action of love.

Now, if I plaster red tape across my face and write the word “Life” on it and then adorn myself with signs that say, “God Hates Abortion,” is that un-godly?  Yes.

Before you send me an email stating that abortion is murder and murder is wrong, let me explain.  Abortion IS murder and murder IS wrong, but that isn’t what I’m talking about.  Far better would it be for a person to counsel one-on-one with a frightened, pregnant teenager than to stand on the street with a hate sign and red tape over one’s lips.  The message may hold truth but the action itself is not based in love; and if your actions are not showing God’s love, your message will never be heard.

If you are holding a sign that begins with the words, “God Hates ____” you are not expressing God’s love.  Period.  You are expressing judgment and condemnation and the Bible is very clear on the fact that we are not to judge one another.

Remove the plank from your own eye before you start attacking other people in the name of God and truth and God’s supposed agenda.

And for Heaven's sake, people, stop teaching this crap to your children.  Teach them to love, not to judge.  Teach them to pursue God's truth through actions of love and not actions of hate.

Plastering red tape on a child's mouth doesn't send a message of God's love.  It sends a message of condemnation, judgment and ultimately chases people further from God.

If you want to take a stand against abortion, do it the right way, the loving way, God's way.

I get discouraged by how many Christians behave in ways that are utterly un-Christ-like.  What do I mean by that statement?  Let me first tell you what I DON’T mean.  I’m not talking about the Christians who party a little too hard on weekends or let the occasional curse word cross their lips.  I’m not talking about the Christians who have made mistakes and fallen short of who they wanted to be as a husband or wife.   My goodness, look at the short-comings of David in the Bible, and yet God said David was a man after His own heart.  I’m talking about the Christians that waltz around with an arrogant, elitist, holier-than-thou spirit.  I’m talking about the Christians who hold hate signs and cast judgment on others and do it in the name of God.  I’m talking about the Christians who manipulate Scripture and whose sole focus is on seeking new signs and wonders and pursuing with war-like evangelism the end of the world.  These are the Christians giving Christianity a bad name.  These are the Christians who are distorting God’s love with their actions of hate.  These are the Christians who are un-Christ-like.

If you read the Bible, particularly the New Testament, and you look at the stories of how Jesus interacted with normal people, you will find that he was never elitist nor arrogant nor condemning.  He spoke truth in private and with compassion, and always out of love.

Don’t send me an email telling me the story of when Jesus took a whip and ripped through the temple, because that’s not what I’m talking about here.  Jesus ripped through the temple in righteous anger because the so-called religious people were making a mockery of God.  They were benefiting themselves, their own egos, their own positions, their own agendas in the name of God … and Jesus put them in their place.  Just as He will do to the elitist Christians now, who are taking actions of hate and proclaiming them as God’s love. 

There is only one truth and that truth is love.   So to all of you eltitist, arrogant bigots who call yourselves Christian, here's your sign: