Greetings, Comrades in the Fight for Civility!
Today's blog is about the poignant movie "Lord Save Us From Your Followers". The movie addresses a key point: Why is the Gospel of Love becoming synonymous with "breaking America in half"? Why is it that Christians are being labeled as ignorant, posh know-it-alls?
Well, it's pretty simple, actually: for the longest time we've had a generation of Christians in America who take the easy way out of the arguement. In any argument, there are always at least two simple ways to the end: the first ends up being an intelligent and civil discussion of two people's beliefs, and the second one is just two people yelling at each other with their fingers in their ears. Obviously, the second one requires the least effort, and sadly it's the option that many people have been taking recently. So it's no wonder that after a while, people just stop caring about God's message: the "debate" between Christianity and every other religion just becomes a huge mosh pit of "I'm right, you're wrong, that's it, I'm done".
The problem is, neither God, nor Jesus, nor any prophet or preacher or apostle in the Bible made a point of always being right about everything! In fact, if you want an example of our "modern" strategy of being right, take a look at the Pharisees. They were constantly arguing with Jesus on every point, giving Him hell left and right. It doesn't take a biblical genius to figure out that the Pharisees aren't the fluffiest loaves in the bread basket.
So the problem isn't the Gospel, it's the way it's being presented! We have sorely twisted the idea of "preaching the Gospel" into "standing at the pulpit and screaming abuse at sinners". God is a personal being, concerned with people, not numbers. If at my death I have nothing else to show God than helping one person know Him better, my life is worth no more and no less than the man who converts an entire country. St. Patrick and the homeless guy under the bridge who comes to church once a month are no different in God's eyes. It's time that Christians learned the most divine truth of all: people are people. The people that we look at as the "best" (the richest, the nicest, the best-looking, the purest) don't need much help, just like the healthy person doesn't need a doctor. It's the "poor", the "mean", the "ugly", and the impure who need God most. So it cheers my heart to see people going to those whom life has abandoned and engaging in conversation with them, loving them, and basically doing exactly what Christ did thousands of years ago. I can't believe it took two thousand years for us to figure out what we were supposed to do. Let's not waste the time that we have here--let's be friends with the friendless.
Until next time,
--JesusFreak
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