Merry Christmas, In God we Trust, and other mirages...
I'm a pastor. It seems like I recieve more mass emails, political literature and religious propoganda due to that fact. Can I be honest for a moment? I am sick and tired of the belly aching and the ax grinding and the hair splitting over issues like "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays". In my opinion, issues like this that the religious right deem to be the most potent and urgent are nothing more than "treadmills". They make you feel like you're moving, but you're really not. I wonder how many Christians exercise all their spiritual energy on the treadmills of pet issues like fighting for "In God we Trust" on the dollar bills or the "Ten Commandments" in the court yards of our country or "Prayer in Public Schools" because they somehow attach their closeness to God with these slogans, maxims or holidays. I see so many getting their underwear in a bunch over stuff like this, but they don't clothe themselves with Christ and act generously and graciously to their fellowman. We fight and we angrily send out emails to rouse the troups into rabid action to defend God, and we forget that many of these causes are not God's idea in the first place. I don't remember God telling anyone to put the Ten Commandments in the city square or to make sure you pray before class or at graduation or to celebrate "Christmas" with trees and lights and gifts and carols. These are man's ideas over the years and these ideas were great, but they aren't the priority. When they become the end, they become at dead end in my opinion.
I know people fighting for KJV, but hate homosexuals.
I know people picketing against abortion that beat up their wifes.
I know people who witness to complete strangers and don't play with their kids.
I know people who sign petitions while spreading rumors.
I know people who think being a Republican puts you on God's side.
I know people who partner with the Christian Coalition, yet live with a grumpy and graceless heart.
I read a passage just a couple days ago that went something like this (Romans 13:8ish) "Don't let any debt remain outstanding but the continued debt of your love for your fellowman...Clothe yourself with Christ, so that you don't fulfill the desires of the flesh." It's not word for word, but it's close. "Clothe yourself with Christ." I wonder if I do that. I wonder if our Christian cultures fascination with perverbial soap boxes isn't just a cover up for alienation from God.
If you're more interested in fighting Target or lobbying for "Merry Christmas" than clothing yourself with Christ and loving your fellowman, you're disobeying the law. Because in that same passage it says that loving your neighbor as yourself is the fulfillment of the whole law. If we would work harder at clothing ourselves with Christ and loving our fellowman, we won't have to rely on little trite phrases, or spiffy one-liners, or text on our currency to validate our spiritual walk. These are mirages. These are masquarades. They make you feel like you're moving when you're really not.
If you want to fight for something, fight to get Christ on in the morning and keep him on throughout the day. Don't entertain the thought unclothing him from yourself and doing what comes naturally. I think it will only lead to squabbles over things that I'm not sure mean a whole heck of alot to begin with.
I love saying Merry Christmas...but I'd rather show someone love. (it's harder)
I love the Ten Commandments...but they are summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself.
I love "In God we Trust"...but I'd rather trust him than fight for it on my dollar bill. (it's harder)
I love "One nation, under God"...but I'd rather clothe myself under him and keep clothed all day long.
I love "Prayer in Schools"...but honestly, prayer was never meant to be a public display to begin with...(read the Sermon on the Mount)
I love all of these things...but I'm trying not to get sidetracked with their expression in our culture missing the point along the way...and with all these emails and non-profit mailings...I'm having a hard time.
Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a Christian.
I know people fighting for KJV, but hate homosexuals.
I know people picketing against abortion that beat up their wifes.
I know people who witness to complete strangers and don't play with their kids.
I know people who sign petitions while spreading rumors.
I know people who think being a Republican puts you on God's side.
I know people who partner with the Christian Coalition, yet live with a grumpy and graceless heart.
I read a passage just a couple days ago that went something like this (Romans 13:8ish) "Don't let any debt remain outstanding but the continued debt of your love for your fellowman...Clothe yourself with Christ, so that you don't fulfill the desires of the flesh." It's not word for word, but it's close. "Clothe yourself with Christ." I wonder if I do that. I wonder if our Christian cultures fascination with perverbial soap boxes isn't just a cover up for alienation from God.
If you're more interested in fighting Target or lobbying for "Merry Christmas" than clothing yourself with Christ and loving your fellowman, you're disobeying the law. Because in that same passage it says that loving your neighbor as yourself is the fulfillment of the whole law. If we would work harder at clothing ourselves with Christ and loving our fellowman, we won't have to rely on little trite phrases, or spiffy one-liners, or text on our currency to validate our spiritual walk. These are mirages. These are masquarades. They make you feel like you're moving when you're really not.
If you want to fight for something, fight to get Christ on in the morning and keep him on throughout the day. Don't entertain the thought unclothing him from yourself and doing what comes naturally. I think it will only lead to squabbles over things that I'm not sure mean a whole heck of alot to begin with.
I love saying Merry Christmas...but I'd rather show someone love. (it's harder)
I love the Ten Commandments...but they are summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself.
I love "In God we Trust"...but I'd rather trust him than fight for it on my dollar bill. (it's harder)
I love "One nation, under God"...but I'd rather clothe myself under him and keep clothed all day long.
I love "Prayer in Schools"...but honestly, prayer was never meant to be a public display to begin with...(read the Sermon on the Mount)
I love all of these things...but I'm trying not to get sidetracked with their expression in our culture missing the point along the way...and with all these emails and non-profit mailings...I'm having a hard time.
Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a Christian.
Comments
In Max Lucado's Devotional Bible, he hammers on the same theme you expounded ... how un-christian christians often live/relate.
When I was in Switzerland in 1972, I encountered an arrogant family from the US, demanding that I help them (they didn't know I was also a US citizen). I simply spoke a few phrases of Swiss-German, and walked away ... not wanting to be associated with the arrogance that pervades the American people. I have felt the same way these past few weeks, listening to the 'religious right' rant & rave on TV, radio and in print regarding 'Happy Holidays' as well as churches cancelling services on Christmas morning this year. Words can express the sickness I feel in my heart. But your words, Jay, came pretty close.
Etou!