I Don’t Want to be a “Christian”
I ran across this video on Facebook Friday night. Around 11:30. I had just posted a status update about finally clearing out my inbox…managed to answer and reply to all of my email, file what needed filing and finally delete some things that were just taking up space. I’m down to two remaining emails, y’all. I feel liberated.
I was headed to bed, but I got sidetracked looking at one of my college roommates recent wedding photos. Don’t you love how Facebook allows us to see glimpses into people’s lives when we can’t be near the people we love? Anyway…as with any social media site, I somehow started jumping around from profile to profile; reading stalking and looking at photos, when a video caught my eye. I don’t do YouTube videos too terribly often, but this one got my attention. I’ve placed it below. Take a second to watch (it’s 3:00-ish minutes…I’m sure you can spare it and it’s worth it).
Preach.
Josh and I have talked about this very thing time and time again in our lives. This is a topic that gets me fired up and ready to start shouting. If I’d been in the room when someone started talking about this, I’d have been one of those women shouting hearty “Amens” and “Praise Jesus!”
I’ve been part of places where the moment you let your weakness show…admit to your shortcomings…let on that you aren’t perfect like Christian’s are “supposed” to be…everything changes. I’ve been on the receiving end of those judgmental stares. On the other side of the room when the whispers start. Been the brunt of an indirect but oh-so-obvious Facebook status.
It hurts.
And it’s wrong.
If you don’t know my story, let me give you a quick rundown:
I drank myself to the point in college where I should have ended up dead. Not only did I drink to an extent that I was an alcoholic at not even 20 years old, waking up hungover and spending the day itching for the evening when I’d party it up again, but I was also foolish with my choices…looking to hookup with whoever I could, whenever I could. Trying to find acceptance through popularity and doing what the “popular” girls did.
How I didn’t end up dead in an alcohol related car wreck or pregnant with an illegitimate child, is by God’s grace only. And it’s only by God’s grace that I’m still here and have reached the point in my life where I am comfortable sharing my mistakes and hoping that others learn from them.
But you know what? Those mistakes? Those stupid choices?
They don’t make me any less SAVED than anyone else.
We ALL have baggage. We all need grace.
If we didn’t, then the cross? The cross is meaningless.
I’m not bashing the church or saying we don’t need the church. God gave us the church-the body of believers we are supposed to come together with to worship and fellowship-as a gift. But, it’s been the church-the building, the body of believers thumping the scripture over people’s heads-that has led people away.
It’s the church that’s left me feeling many times over like I don’t want to be a Christian anymore.
Because as unfortunate as it is, “christianity” isn’t the same today as it was when Jesus Christ walked this earth.
Christianity isn’t a once a week (twice if you go on Wednesday’s) thing to just check off your list.
It’s not driving the most expensive car, to the most prestigious building, wearing the top of the line name brand clothes and sitting in the front row singing louder than anyone else, interjecting the “amen” in the right spot.
It’s not knowing or memorizing the most scripture or being able to understand Hebrew.
It’s not knowing the Books of the Bible or having the most verses highlighted on those tissue paper thin pages (Bonus points if you use something like the inductive method with all kinds of different colors, all coordinated in accordance to subject matter.)
It’s not looking the other direction when a brother or sister in Christ is struggling and needs your help. It’s not passing judgement or condemning someone over a bad choice or even a series of bad choices. Last time I read the Easter story, I’m pretty sure Peter denied Christ…not once, not twice, but three times.
Jesus rode a donkey. Not a Porsche. He wore a robe and sandals. Not Chanel and Jimmy Choo’s. He carried with Him the presence of the Almighty. Not a Michael Kors bag.
Jesus associated with the least of these so that we could have the greatest of his grace.
In fact Jesus was the least of these. Dig your Bible out and read-really read– about who Jesus was. Because he wasn’t who the churches seem be depicting him to be these days.
A church is fine. Going to church is fantastic. My family and I go every week.
But, who do you see in church? Your friends? Family members? People you associate with? Families that are part of the school attached to the church? Upstanding citizens of your city?
Do you see the least of these? Do you see the barstool type people? Do you see the broken, beaten and bruised souls that are all around us? Do you see the Vets holding the signs outside your local fast food place? Do you see the homeless man you always pass by, but manage to “turn the other cheek” to?
We aren’t too good to reach them. We aren’t too good to associate with them.
When did becoming a Christian…becoming a church member…take us from being ONE of the least of these, to thinking we were the BETTER of these?
The Bible tells us in the book of 1 John that all wrongdoing is sin (src).
Not some of it.
Not just a little bit of it.
ALL of it.
There’s no good sin and bad sin.
No right sin or wrong sin.
No little sin or big sin.
It’s ALL sin.
From that little white lie to the adultery. From stealing a pencil from your office (that wasn’t yours!) to murdering half a dozen people.
It all put Christ on the cross.
It all kept Christ on the cross.
And at the end of the day, when I stand before God at those pearly gates, I know that I will answer for the mistakes that I have made (and heaven knows there’s been a lot of them). I know that I will have to give an account of all the wrong doing in my life.
But when all of my transgressions are counted and the great and mighty Lord of Lords gets ready to place his verdict? I want to be sure that I hear him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
If I have to be the “too good of these” to engage with the least of these, then how much like Jesus am I really?
Prostitutes.
Adulterers.
Tax collectors.
Lowly fishermen.
Shepherds who shot slingshots.
Blasphemers.
Thieves.
Murderers.
These don’t sound like the high society type to me.
And if associating with them makes me more like HIM…then that’s right where I want to be.
Because when Christianity becomes about being better than the ones who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, then I don’t want to be a Christian anymore.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a church’s (or Christians) criticism and judgment? How did you feel? Are you under the impression that that’s what Jesus Christ is like? If it is, I’d love talk to you more about who my God is and what he is really like!
Only one is sinless, He went to the cross for us. We all are sinners, yet when we accepted Christ into our hearts, we are to turn from our sin and strive to be Christlike. That does not say that we will become perfect or better than anyone else, for in some way , we will fail every day and fall short. That is why we ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us each day! We can’t do it on our own, and we deal with our old self every day.
Oh my goodness. This really spoke to me. Thank you!
Courtney,
What an awesome article and the video is right on the money. I think one of the biggest problems that the scoffers of others has is their inability to see that they too are sinners. Church is for the “sick” not the high and mighty.
I appreciate this post. Powerful reminder of who we are called to be.
We needed this.
This was spot on! As we say down here in the south, that cow gave some good milk and meat, I am gonna milk that cow and chew on the meat while I am at it. I will show the video and modify the topic to fit my testimony and then preach it out loud. Then close with video of Jason Crab song Someone Like Me. Keep up the fight against religion and preach the relationship ……..Thanks for sharing!
Your article was timely, well-written and humbling.The attitudes and judgments are the dichotomy of the Christian life. Now in my “golden years” I’m learning, once again, that it is more natural, more satisfying to be with Jesus than hang out with “The Church Lady”! Kindness and joy are my goal, prayer is in every breath. My Beloved knows that I am His; to share that is my privilege. Thank you for reminding me.
This post. I don’t even know where to start. I guess first, I should say that the title drew me in. I was like what? It kind of baffled me. So I read. And then I watched the video. And it hit home. I’ve done, and felt the same things from a church that I called home. From people I thought were my family in Christ. And it turned out that those people did the opposite of what Christ would have done according to the situation I was in. It took me a while to realize that it was okay. That Jesus still loved me. And it took a few years to forgive and let go. But this video and your post are encouraging to say the least. We are all one in Jesus. He teaches us to love like he does and that’s how we should live. And today, with all the commotion of same sex marriage being legalized, I realize that all we are suppose to do is love. That’s it. Love. Love one another. We are all human beings. Whether right or wrong doings. Your post has opened my eyes to love again. Thank you.
Well written, eloquent, and truly on-point. We are all sinners. All sin is despicable and hateful in God’s eyes, and no sin is “better” than any other.
Actually, the Church needs sinners of all types to be strong. Together we stand strong and united against all sin and temptation. This is how we stand in Communion and support eschohet on our journey to our true home. We can only do this if we know how to overcome sins of all type.
I love reading your posts. You are real, nothing fake. All my life Ive believed the lie that I’m not good enough.. My Mom sends me weekly texts to remind me just how good enough, I’m not.. The way they raised us was part of the reason I have always felt this way. Today’s text message sent me over the edge. I nearly lost it.. I came across your post, and video while in my room crying.. And I sent it to her in response to that text. Well, needless to say, she didn’t respond back. (Not a shocker)
Maybe, just maybe she read this and watched it..
oh, sweet Keely… You are worth it. You are precious and God loves you. You are his beloved.