We’re Sorry: An Apology from Christians

             I cannot speak for all Christians, but I think can speak for quite a few of us when I say, “We’re sorry.”

            A large number of people who don’t believe in Jesus or who don’t attend church cite a reason why being the hypocrisy of Christians. Understandably, the sincerity of our belief in a God of love can be questioned when we at times act so unlike the God we profess to believe in. Some people may cynically wonder if even those in the church really believe; and if not, why should they?

An oft cited hypocrisy is some of the problematic alliances made between politicians and certain religious groups or leaders when those very politicians seem to act or legislate in various unchristian ways. I’m sure many, many examples from American politics might be springing to your mind, but a particularly egregious example I thought of is how the Russian Orthodox church leader, Patriarch Kirill, has for some reason decided he wants to give God’s spiritual blessing over the military invasion of Ukraine.

            What can we say but, “We’re sorry.”? We’re sorry if you’ve been hurt by a Christian. We’re sorry when we fall short of our goals of love. Paul laments religious hypocrisy in Romans 2:24 saying, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

We are a poor witness to Christ when we fail to care for the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden. We are a poor witness when we are known more as being judgmental than we are known for being compassionate.

            But maybe you can cut us just a little slack, because we’re not Christians because we claim to be perfect, we’re Christians because we know just how imperfect we are. We’re Christians because we know we desperately need the grace of God. In church we are tasked with confessing our sins every week and committing again to the work of repentance and the pursuit of holiness.

            We admit plainly today that our churches are full of sinners; Jesus came for the sick, not for the healthy. And whereas some attend church for genuine reasons, others do not. There are many who attach themselves to the name of Christ who are really servants of the devil. Yes, the devil loves to disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

            But just because we’re not perfect, that doesn’t mean that Jesus isn’t. Would you consider giving us a second chance? Because maybe you’re not perfect either. And maybe you’d fit in great among this community of sinners whom God is slowly making into saints. Maybe you can give us the same grace and forgiveness that you hope God gives to you for your mistakes. And if you join us, instead of just judging our mistakes from the sidelines, you can try to use your gifts and your talents and your voice to help us correct the course when we go astray and help make the church look just a little more like Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ascension

Image
  Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach  2  until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  3  After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  4  While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me;  5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  7  He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.  8  But you will...
Read more

Transfiguration Sunday: A Mountaintop Experience

Image
                 Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. And transfiguration is really just another way of saying transformation. It simply means a change in form or appearance. And indeed, Jesus, on the mount of transfiguration, his appearance drastically changed. He suddenly began to shine like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. In Mark’s gospel he notes that his clothes were so white that they couldn’t be bleached. I take it to mean that it’s so white that if you were to bleach it with the whitest bleach on earth, you’d only darken it. The question is: what does this mean? Why does Jesus suddenly appear in this way? I believe that this event is meant to signal nothing less than Jesus’ full divinity. In Daniel 7, Daniel is given a vision of God as one whose clothing was white as snow. Psalm 104 speaks of God as being wrapped in light as a garment. And in Isaiah 60 as Isaiah has a vision of the perfect future, the new he...
Read more

Counting Up the Cost of Discipleship

Image
            In Luke 9:57-62 we see Jesus breaking every rule of the church growth movement. Jesus has three potential people who are ready to follow him, and yet after a brief conversation with each it seems like Jesus has quickly lost all 3 potential disciples. I can imagine that many church leaders would have some harsh words for Jesus in this situation if Jesus were their pastor. They’d say something like, “Jesus, we need to be streamlining points of entry into our church. We need to be making it as easy for people to come as possible. When they express any interest in coming, we need to stress all the benefits of doing so: making friends, finding purpose, good music, captivating sermons, and so forth. What are you doing immediately focusing on things they’d have to sacrifice if they were to become a Christian? That’s not going to win as many converts. Jesus, at least wait a year before you start bringing that stuff up. And even then, make the level...
Read more