And the greatest of these....is Love.

So, I have had a TON of feedback about my blog regarding mean people....and not so much about the mean people I spoke of but more about the thoughts regarding mean people who shout from the rooftops about how "Christian" they are. Some people have agreed with what I said in the blog post, some have been upset by it, and some have reminded me of something that is very, very, very important.

As Christians, we are sinners. We are forgiven, but as humans, we sin. Alexander Pope said, "to err is human, to forgive is divine." I don't expect Christians to be perfect. I am not upset with people for not being perfect. I think, by definition, we are most definitely NOT perfect. That is why we must be forgiven and we must never forget to ask for that forgiveness...because we are children of God living on His Earth and making human and earthly mistakes each and every day.

Someone reminded me that every time I say a not-so-nice thing about someone else, I am sinning. Every time I gossip, behind someone's back, I am sinning. Every time I say a bad word, I am sinning again. They went on to remind me that despite these sins, Christianity is NOT about being perfect and that I am forgiven.

One of my sister's friends wrote me (I am waiting for permission to share her complete thoughts here, because I found them to be quite profound and speak to my heart) and I was most struck by her thought regarding where some people have turned as Christians is into a "holier than thou" state where they feel it is appropriate to pass judgement and elevate themselves into another status, a higher status, than others. Elevating themselves above others and deciding rules for them, based on their "status" of Christianity.

That, I believe, is what I was trying (possibly failed) to speak to in my previous blog entry. I am imperfect, Lord knows, I am so imperfect in so many ways. I ask for forgiveness regularly and know that I am loved with an unconditional love and that I am blessed and I am saved because I have taken Jesus into my heart. I am constantly under His watchful protection, His grace, and mercy.

What has me so bothered is those persons who use their faith and their professed Christianity to hurt others. When you say to someone else, in a snide tone of voice, "I am going to pray for you", implying that you are lesser than them, implying that you need their intervention from their faith as yours must be lacking, implying that their faith, that their devotion, that their character, that their state of being "Christian" is superior to yours, implying that this is so because they believe that they are on the "right side" of an argument and since you are on the "wrong side" your faith is not as just, not as pure, not as holy....it feels wrong to me. Feels wrong in so many ways.

When people use their faith as an excuse to abuse their children....it feels wrong to me. Every day, myself or my workers, are quoted to from the Bible by people who have hurt their children. Have beaten their children. Have had sex with their children. People who believe that "spare the rod, spoil the child" means that you are to hit your children to instill good behavior (I won't even stir the hornet's nest here to indicate that is NOT what is implied by that proverb and it isn't even a direct quote from the bible but rather a compilation of ideas from scripture....I will save that for another time) and good character in your children or you are derelict in your faith and in your parenting.

When people who constantly degrade others, pass judgement on others, speak ill of others, instigate arguments with others, find ways to be as non-helpful to others as possible, hurt others and use hurtful language and hurtful tones of voice to others, get pleasure out of proving others wrong, making them look foolish, and calling attention to their mistakes....and then profess that they are "Christian" so these things aren't possible or couldn't be true about themselves....I am left to wonder if they DO remember that being Christian does mean being imperfect, being a sinner, and asking for forgiveness. If they remember that they are not perfect because they are separated from God by their sin. I am left to question whether they truly believe it to be true that because they are Christian, or they believe they are "more Christian" than someone else, they can never be wrong...never hurt someone with their words...with their actions or lack thereof.

Christianity is not a status of perfection. It is not a status of good moral character. It is not a status that makes you better than me, or me better than my neighbor or my neighbor better than his friend. It is not a tool that should be used as a weapon. It is not any of these things. As another person wrote to tell me....as Christians, we are still sinners, we are simply forgiven sinners.

Corinthians 1:13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing........And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

My prayer is for us to stop the clanging of the cymbals. Stop the ringing of the gong. Remember our imperfect nature, remember that the greatest of these is love, and remember that sin separates you from God, and His son died so that we can be forgiven for those sins and our ultimate act of Christianity on Earth is to live our lives in a way to make us worthy of His love.

Much love,
R