phil-larson

I'm reading a book entitled:  "unChristian: What a new generation really thinks about Christianity...and why it matters" by David Kinnaman.  That's pretty self-explanatory.  This guy runs surveys for research as a profession.  His findings are pretty alarming but, ultimately, it starts with us who proclaim to be "Christian."  What image are we portraying?  FYI, he calls those who are not of the Christian faith "outsiders," for they are outside the Christian faith.  But he does explain that he has trouble using this term because it has a tendancy to define them as what they are not.  Here's an excerpt that I read and like.  Can you relate or have you had a similar experience with those who proclaim to be Christian?

"One thrity-five-year-old believer from Claifornia put it this way: 'Christians have become political, judgmental, intolerant, weak, religious, angry, and without balance.  Christianity has become a nice Sunday drive.  Where is the living God, the Holy Spirit, an amazing Jesus, the love, the compassion, the holiness?  This type of life, how I yearn for that.'  Jesus was called a friend of sinners, relentlessly pursuing the down-trodden.  What an irony that today his followers are seen in the opposite light!  How can people love God, whom they can't see, if those of us who claim to represent him don't respond to outsiders with love?"

A lot of those outside the faith of Christianity appreciate what Jesus had to say and how he lived his life.  It is becoming more and more evident to them that the church today is far too often claiming to be followers of Jesus without living his same lifestyle.  This, understandably so, is not the kind of faith they want to associate themselves with.  The book also talked about many young believers today who avoid saying that they are Christian so that they can distance themselves from the current "branding" of that word.  Then, they say, it is easier for them to bring their friends into a relationship with Christ.

Hmm, interesante and sobering.  I'm only 25 pages into the book but I'm realizing that it's time to wake up... actually it has been time to wake up for quite some time...  It is time that this word "Christian" gets some redeeming.  We are called to be that, the hands and feet of God.  It is up to us, the way we represent him, our love which needs to be unconditional.  If you have experienced this love, we are called to give it to others.  How selfish are we if we hold onto this experience and keep it for ourselves.  You are the light of the world!  You have been given this power!  Christ says, "Freely you have recieved, freely give." It is not to be abused.  Representing our God is a life or death task.  You have the ability to destroy his image to someone.  But you also have the ability to represent the true loving God and also, maybe most importantly, restore that image to someone who has recieved a contradicting one.  Let's wake up.  The time is now.