Something happened that really distubed me today. A fundamentalist site that blasted all kinds of people from all parts of christianity went down recently, and will not be restarted. Recently, I put in a post at What Would Jesus Do, about how I believe we should act towards others. When going through the comments of the farewell of the person whose site went down. Some amazing things hit me. One of the comments was, "the nasty and vicious comments made to me from people who follow God." (paraphrased) The people that she was blasting would be grouped into the emerging church umbrella. That would be me. We like to talk of the fact that we were abused out of the church. The rediculous treatment received at the church, and the first chance we get, we do the same things that we were siting as reasons for not going to those churches again. We say that we did not receive the love that Jesus speaks of in the Gospels, yet, do we show it? Do we live it? It made me sad.
The next was reading the comments. They were joyous at the demise of another. Still balsting away. Again, what would Jesus do?
Then the most disturbing of all, was the farewell letter in its entirety. This person had a GREAT passion for God. They were driven by that passion to action. However much I disagreed with the sentements of the site, I should have recognized the love of God this person had. How could I have been blind to that. Seething in my own righteous indignation over the attack I saw on my people, blinded me to the passion that the other has for God. Then convicted by my own words from the post It's My Path. How could I have judged that person as I did?
I did not look for the good. I saw my own hurt from the words. I saw haw angry it made me. I, I, I, I.....
Selfishly I looked at the situation, and put it in my box, labeled it how I wanted to, and put the box away.
I have to say, that God has convicted me horribly today. I talk about how I should not be judged, and people should respect me and my beliefs. Why do I not give the same courtesy?
9 comments:
I had a similar experience the other day, Nate.
I have a friend who tends to have an air of spiritual superiority (says things like "you're finally starting to get what I've understood for a long time", etc) and I was discussing this with another friend, who promptly informed me that *I* also have a similar attitude about me at times.
I was appalled. But, because I respect my friend and because he speaks the truth with great love, I went home and thought about it. And decided he was right.
OUCH.
I'm as "superior" about my emergent attitudes as my friend is about her viewpoints. THAT hurt. But it was truth. I'm grateful for a friend who loves me enough to tell me hard stuff.
Oh I've struggled with that as well... wishing my friends from previous church would just finally WAKE UP and think like ME!
Silly... very silly... thinking that I actually have a handle on anything...
Michelle
I think it's okay to say you have a handle on something (if you really do), but it's all in the attitude...and maybe the reason behind why you're actually SAYING it instead of allowing your actions to just show it instead.
thanks for bringing this up. it's something i've been thinking and feeling for awhile, and i'm glad to see i'm not alone. for a couple of months now, i've felt like all of this "CLB" bashing, as well as even using terms like "CLB", only enhance division and make us into the people we are criticizing. the old problem of reverse snobbery.
i don't think god lead me out of the organized church just so i could sit around with others to talk about how much we dislike those people, or how much better our ideals are than theirs. yet, that seems to be what much of the conversation in the blogosphere centers around.
in truth, many of us have been hurt, and it's good to gather together and lick wounds and find common ground with people who are also the minority in their respective areas. but to what end? what's next? a question taht is going around more and mroe now, and one which, frankly, i would like to see more intentional discussion on. not just theories or doctrinal differences, but moving on towards praxis. towards a belief system that spurs behavior and reveals something so workable and genuine and different that people, like ourselves, would be willing to give up everything to be a part of.
but, on the other end of the spectrum, we do have the example of jesus and john the baptist left for us in calling the overly religious and abusive leaders a "brood of snakes and vipers" and "sons of hell." jesus was sometimes downright nasty in the way he spoke to them. if you ask me, calling someone something like that with conviction takes real balls. and leaves an awfully confusing legacy...
I do try to extend grace to those who are more conservative than I...for I know that I only see through a glass darkly, just like they do. But still, sometimes it's hard.
It is good to know that God is consistent. The same is happening here with me and I am glad that we are being changed from glory to glory in to the likeness of His Son Jesus...
Looking forward to His Purpose being implemented by us as we separate ourselves from the Phariseeism(sp?) in ourselves.
Great post. I have been disheartened by the hateful feelings I see online between different points of view, and it definitely goes both ways. I am glad you came to see this, and hope many others can learn the same.
"brood of snakes and vipers" and "sons of hell."
Not too confusing here ... I think Christ knew very clearly who was who and what they were all about ... and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth knows who is who as well and when we need to know, He lets us know ... all that part about guiding us into all truth ...
We have trouble acting the way we know we should because we are sinners.. as Paul said ... "of sinners I am chief."
But thank God for the Holy Spirit who convicts us, guides us and comforts us. All the comments here are examples of God's people hearing God's voice ... Awesome indeed. :-)
Good for people to know.
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