Deception

I was talking to a co-worker yesterday who had the blessing of going down with a group to New Orleans last week for Mardi Gras. They went down to share the good news with the partiers. One of the things that he told me about was that there were other groups who called themselves Christians, yet acted nothing like Christ asks us to act. Instead of showing love and sharing the good news, they judged and condemned. Now I wasn't there, but I can imagine what the type of people are that he saw. I don't believe that you should leave sin and judgement out of the gospel message (what is good news without telling people what they are saved from?). But I'm also a believer that you "attract more flies with sugar than vinegar" - or however that saying goes.
One of the ways that my co-worker, Eric, described the condemner people, is that they are "deceived". I think that word is so good - it's so much better than heathen, pagan, idiot, moron -- and many other words that some Christians use to describe non-Christians that come off as rude and "I'm better than those sinners". If we truly look at non-Christians as lost and deceived, we can have compassion for them. Good chance that these people have been brainwashed into thinking they're doing the right thing to "save these pagans from destruction". I can admit that I used to think to use any means to save someone from hell regardless of how rude it is was a noble thing to do. Greg Boyd gives analogy that we shouldn't "shoot at the sinners because we need to save them". We're in a war against Satan who is a great deceiver, we're not in a war against flesh and blood.

OK... I Have an Agenda

I was listening to Toby Mac's new album "Portable Sounds" on the way to work this morning and in one of his songs he uses the highly offensive word - Jesus. It got me thinking for some reason why do some people accept Jesus, and some people reject Jesus. It's not exactly a new question, but in light of my recent obsession with how should one evangelize, I've had some new thoughts about it. As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, I think that I have been guilty of trying to push Jesus on people -- as if I push hard enough they will have to believe. I'm sure part of this comes from me being wired by God as an "influencer" -- I like to influence people -- I'm in sales, etc. But like sales, good sales people should be asking more questions vs. dumping tons of info about their product or service. I think we as Christians would be more loving if we remembered that. Of course some may say that "you have an agenda" even if you're asking questions to try and get people to follow Jesus but hey -- I'm guilty as charged. As a Christian, that's my marching orders (i.e. the "Great Commission"). Honestly, if I found out that someone had an agenda to share Good News with me -- life saving, life altering, purpose giving, hope of heaven news with me, I wouldn't be offended -- that is, unless they were sharing it in a pushy, I don't care what you think, "accept this or you're going to hell" way!

One thing that I know...

...is that I don't know much.

One thought I've had recently that is that a lot of people think that Christians are closed minded - OK many are - but if we can let people know that we are OPEN to a dialog about things - let us reason together - we are starting at a point of humility which is more approachable and less arrogant. I think a big turn off is when people think you just want to talk AT them instead of talk WITH them and get to know their opinion on things and what they think. It's the whole eating from the tree of knowledge - the whole thinking we have ALL the answers - that is a major problem with Christians - and I'll be the first to raise my hand to admit I've had this stink about me before! I think a big reason we Christians can come off as arrogant and unapproachable is because we put on this facade that we know everything - out of a fear we may not be able to prove what we believe is true. Who likes to talk with somebody who is completely close minded to anything you have to say (i.e. a Christian who is completely close minded to your experiences and opinions about things) - not me! What a turn off! We Christians have a tendency to get nervous if someone has something to say that may cause us to question if what we believe is true. Let's not fear that - true faith is believing that God will come through in our fears and questions. Rob Bell talks a lot about this in his book Velvet Elvis. Here's my challenge today for me and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - let's be humble, approachable, and let's have a desire to get down and dirty with those questions that seekers have and we may have ourselves - let's not be afraid to have God reveal himself in honest questions from others and from our own minds!