Monday, 05 November 2007 00:00 | and posted in Sharing Your Faith
"Christians are so intolerant. A bunch of bible bashing, narrow-minded, arrogant, homophobic, party-pooping, judgemental God-botherers."
Are we? Are you?
Many people talk about Christians in this way. They know us for what we are against rather than what we are for. People have received the impression from our words and actions that our message is one of rules and regulations: you can do this, but you can't do that... It is this that makes us sound judgemental and intolerant.
So why should people listen to us? We talk about Good News, but people aren't hearing it. We value a relationship with Jesus who came to bring life to the full (John 10:10), but the world sees us as restrictive and stuck in the past. We need to start making some new noises if we are going to share this good news with people.
What are we for then? What are the positives of our faith?
Micah 6:8 is a great starting point: "He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
God wants His people to be known for justice, mercy and humility, but what does this look like?
There is a great deal of injustice in the world and people can see it. It is an attractive thing to see people doing something about it - Christians are people who act to see justice done in the world. Get involved in fair trade. Find out about and support campaigns for justice. Make your friends aware of injustice in the world and what can be done about it.
The world is full of competition and fighting and people looking after themselves and their own interests. People who are concerned with caring for others, whether they deserve it or not, will be noticed. Christians are people who demonstrate mercy in their living. Showing friendship to the person who has been slagging you, or to someone who nobody else hangs out with, makes a statement.
The world is about putting yourself forward and showing how good you are. People who choose to go against the flow of that are rare - and there's something interesting about them. Christians are people who are obviously different because they are humble. When everyone else boasts about how hard or clever or popular they are, be the one who doesn't need to show off. Instead talk about how great other people are.
Can you be a Christian that shows the world what we're for?