This lil’ light o mine
We are so biblically bankrupt.
We’ve forgotten that sharing our faith isn’t about racking up points with God, it’s about love.
Trying to get as many souls as possible to Christ is a noble and awesome thing but how are we doing it? Are we doing it so God will like us more, in effect being quite self-centred? Or are we doing it out of love?
I had a good yarn to a close mate of mine who has always been in and out of the church, and He really made me think.
“Tony, it’s all about the song ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.’”
I suddenly was in a crazy introverted tunnel of discovery. Was it disco? Very.
It’s not about sitting around with your christian mates and forming a pocket of resistance, although there is a time and space for that fellowhip. It’s about getting out, hanging out with the tax-collecters, the prostitutes, the drunkards, the people that don’t know God. That last term isn’t a summation, it’s a category, because anyone can be a slave to money, lust or addiction. And if you’re honest with yourself and aren’t blessedly naive, you’ve felt the pull of these things. Anyhow, back to the point. It’s not about avoiding the world. It’s being IN the world, not OF it or OUT of it. Thats step one, I mean how else are you really going to help people if you’re not there in the first place?
I see the church as a place where christians worship, where curious people can go and observe without feeling conspicuous; safety in numbers. The church as a group should be out in the world, and the church as place should be welcoming of the world.
The thing I hate about the rack as many souls on the chalkboard mentality is that it doesn’t make sense. People standing on street corners, are you really making a difference? Yeah, you are. But think for a moment; are you doing out of love or are you scared that you won’t have enough brownie points?
Admittedly, I’m getting worried that we’re not reaching people anymore. We don’t really know what we’re talking about, blathering fluffy life skills and hugs to everyone. No wonder people aren’t picking up on it, we’re saying Jesus is the ultimate Dr. Phil (He’s not a real doctor but he is a real phil). But hey, I don’t blame you for espousing that, thats what we’re getting preached, and chances are you haven’t read much of the bible so you’re only going on what your pastor is saying. It pisses me off when the “leadership” are more about fluffy life skills, and about giving the right image than stepping aside and letting a real preacher get on with the job. I mean, whats with the whole chain of command deal? It’s a church, NOT a business, Get rid of the pyramid of power leaders. You should NOT be having the most people serve you, you should be inverting that pyramid, and realise that as a pastor in God’s kingdom you should be serving the most people. You have to realise this because in God’s kingdom, theres you and then theres the King, and there is no room for this nicolaitan crap. Read the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 and see what Jesus says about the nicolaitans. Oh by the way nicolaitan pretty much translates as ruler of the people. As I said, let someone else with their head in the word, humbled step in and take your head out of the clouds.
People aren’t understanding love.
Try this. Let it be known in your workplace where your faith lies. Don’t preach, just let it be known, and be candid, don’t condemn or judge.
As a church we should be out amongst the people, living in way that glorifies God but doesn’t distance ourselves too much from those not in the know. Because if God is love and we have to love the unchurched, we have to bring God to the unchurched with love, not fear. We have a tendancy to say “hey stranger you’re going straight to hell unless you get on your kness and pray, foo!” How much more effective would it be to say over a beer “Bro, I want you to know Jesus, the life you lead after you meet Him is awesome!” and mean it. And be able to answer questions.
Thats how I truly came to God, and get a love for Him.
Jeremy helped me through and was always there trying to save my sorry ass, Al showed me thatt there are more mysteries and mind-blowing concepts in the bible than anywhere else, Joel showed me that enthusiasm & joy is available who want it, and John taught me not to judge and how to life like a real christian man. I owe my life to 5 men, 4 friends who didn’t rush me and 1 man who is Jesus, God.
Sow the seed on the street corner, cultivate it through fellowship. Because there is so much misinformation about real christianity that the only way you’re gonig to get through is let the little light shine. You don’t have to stick it in people’s faces till they’re burnt and running away.
I think the fact that you weren’t rushed is a good point. You can’t rush it, people will come in their own time. People can think its a load of bullshit and then suddenly something clicks one day and they understand, and that always comes from within them, not from someone forcing it upon them, because its them that has to make the choice. All you can do is get them thinking about it. As you said, let your faith be known. Show unconditional love and compassion towards everyone, and if people are ready they’ll see, and then if they ask questions, be ready to give them any help they need.
You’re dead right, T-Wa (I’m debating whether it should properly be spelt as above, or Tee Wa – or even possibly Ti Wa). I think there’s a progression in the Bible. We need to be hope to people. That’s the end point. The middle point is light (“[We] are the light of the world”). And lastly, comes love. Or conversely, love comes first, but we’ll work in this sort of backwards fashion for a second. Hope could be said to be light, true? Hence, we get expressions like “there’s LIGHT at the end of the tunnel”. So, hope is light. How then do we shine light, the sort of light which in turn becomes hope? LOVE. For me the “light of the world/salt of the earth” and the “love God above all else and love people” exclamations of Jesus are absolutely pivotal to Christianity. Jesus us orders us to love. That’s simple. And then he turns around and says “you ARE the light of the world, but you need to love” [obviously heavily paraphrased]. Does this imply that as Christians we will stick out whether we try to or not, either positively or negatively? I think so. The choice we have is, do we love? Are we known as those who judge, condemn and exclude (the word religion actually comes from the latin “religare” which means “to bind together” and as an unfortunate side affect, things that bring a certain group of people togther, also separate others off – but we can stop this)? Or are we known as those who include, encourage, bring hope and love? I suddenly realised that I had no actual scriptual link between hope and light. I figure the link comes in a more holistic approach to the Bible, which is after all the story of redmeptive history from beginning to end. From a more personal experience type perspective then.. Quite simply, God loves us – and I mean this in a more practical sense, he provides, he encourages, he grants us peace, etc – and that love, ultimately, gives us hope. Sorry, this reply is a bit rambly, but I felt like philosophising with a brother. Also, I was encouraged by reading through your blog and thought I’d honour that with a reply.