You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. - Romans 2:3-4
Everyone hates a hypocrite. Some of the more enduring and fascinating news stories involve people who are getting their "just desserts" for something they've railed against in the past. A well-known pastor who teaches against homosexuality caught in a homosexual relationship. A politician who made his name as a tough crimefighter caught up in a prostitution ring. There aren't many things that get people excited like seeing a once-smug celebrity doing the perp walk.
You don't have to ask too many non-christians what they think about Christians before the word "hypocrite" comes up. If you didn't know, the word hypocrite comes from the Greek, literally meaning "actor." Specifically, a hypokrites was an actor in a Greek play who played multiple characters, and had to "change faces" throughout the course of the drama. So how did Christians seem to co-opt this description? Well, for one thing, many Christians have become known far better for what they are against than what they are for. We're more interested in boycotting McDonalds because of their stance on homosexuality than we are on reaching homosexuals for Christ. We're far more inclined to protest abortion clinics than teach scared teen girls about the love of God.
Paul had this exactly right in this verse above from Romans...pointing the finger at other's misdoings does not forgive us our own. In fact, boldly proclaiming the wrongs of others intensifies the spotlight on our own sin, and makes it so much more satisfying to naysayers when we eventually show our human side.
When Jesus gave instructions, he told us to "go and do." Not go and protest. Not go and boycott. Not go and complain about. Go and do. If we would spend more time doing for others instead of judging them, maybe the word "Christian" wouldn't leave such a bad taste in a lot of mouths.
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1 comment:
Again I say amen.
The "funny" thing is that now we are in the same position as the early church was. We are the minority the world around us has a completely different world view. They speak a different language than we do. "God" does not mean to them what it means to us.
How did that early church conquer the world? They did it with their love. Not by protesting and boycotting. They did it by being Christ-like to their neighbors, even the homosexual ones.
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