Finite Forgiveness??

We feel like we have the answers for everything. Poverty, crime, church, all these things that cause hurt.  I heard someone say recently that there are two types of people in this world;  People that build and people that destroy.  But I would like to add a third type - People who destroy that claim to build.

I've sat back and watched adult members of my church act like greedy children trying to get their way. I've listened to Pastors say terrible things about homosexuals and people that don't live "right." I've had to be a shoulder for my friends when Christians condemn them for their sins and failed life choices. One thing has remained consistent in all of these situations - People are destroying and claim that they're building.

Seeing Christ in Christianity these days is nearly impossible. Even Christ himself hung on a tree asking for God to show love to the people that hurt him. He didn't say, "You sorry sinners, you're all going to hell for what you have done." He didn't condemn, the freaking son of God didn't even condemn like I've seen people in church condemn.


I know we should be doing something differently, focusing on more important things. But here we are talking about what NOT to do, and in the process of NOT doing those things we really are doing absolutely NOTHING.  Silly "sins" or failed life choices, alcohol, premarital sex, gambling.  Instead of focusing on what NOT to do and all the negative and wrong and making it all about sin and condemnation, make it about love and relationship.  Because you can't have discipleship without relationship, and after all, I hope you remember the Great Commission - "Go into all the world and make disciples..." - Jesus met people where they were.  He didn't expect to walk up to a Samaritan woman at a well (who was, by the way, married 5 times and "living in sin" with another man) in the middle of the day and put on a show and have her all of a sudden, saved.  He got down on her level, despite what people thought, and related to her, created a bond/relationship.  But of course Christians want to make it about themselves or their churches...who can have the best service, most members, biggest events, all the while, forgetting what Jesus came to do - LOVE the unlovable.

Church is so dumb. A pointless excuse for people to dress in their best, make an appearance, sing a few songs, get that "event" feeling that we need so much (you know the whole youth camp experience), listen to the pastor speak for 30 minutes about how we should be giving more money, watch a few media clips, stand around and say hello to the people we haven’t seen in a week or maybe even months, and go back home. 

It’s almost like it’s a limbo for people to make a connection with God they feel can’t happen anywhere else. I don’t want to DO church...I’m tired of it. It’s never changing, the same old people, doing the same old thing, for years and years and years.

Maybe my frustration is more than that. Maybe it’s refusal to be a typical christian. I don’t even like that word anymore. Christian. It’s become something so ordinary and cliche. I wonder if that’s what taking God’s name in vain really means? Calling ourselves something that we can’t hold a flame to. Being Christ-like. I know that’s why He calls us His disciples, because He knows we can do what He does. But we aren’t doing what He did at all...NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Let me remind you...none of us are perfect and if Jesus himself can say, "Look I know you think you are the suckiest person in the world, but hey, Go and sin no more," I'm sure we can somehow bring ourselves down from our pedestals and say, "Hey, you mess up, I mess up, but I still love you." And MAYBE even, "what can I do to help?" See, when you are perfect you can tell people "Go and sin no more," even Christ himself never said, "I can't believe what you've done." He loved them anyway, despite how they may have hurt him or caused more problems for those involved. He cared enough about them to look past what they did and understood that it doesn't matter WHAT they've done. He gives us grace to make mistakes and learn from them.  Unconditional grace, love and mercy.  It doesn't run out, no matter how much you sin or cause Him pain.
 
I'm writing this because I'm frustrated. I don't even go to church and I love more than these "Christians" do. I realize that every man does what's right in his own eyes and I'll have to deal with hypocrites for the rest of my life pointing out the speck of dust in my eye while they ignore the tree in theirs, but it never gets less aggravating! Don't you realize the example you're setting??  It sucks to have to explain to someone who doesn't really understand Christianity, why people keep judging her or the people she loves.  Her response to it all is, "I don't think I want to be a Christian, if that's how I'm suppose to act, I don't want anything to do with it."  I'm frustrated because they never seem to realize the damage they continue to cause by acting like self-righteous, self deluded Christians. Like they're better than the grace of God, like it's some charity that only we, that are less than them need...because they deserve more.  Christians could use a reality check...because their pedestals seem to sit above Jesus' cross.


Micah 6:8 (Message) But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's QUITE simple. Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously - Take God seriously.