I've been thinking a lot lately about the "Better-then-you" fight that we all seem to be in. The "I'm prettier- fitter- taller- leaner- brighter- smarter- and more 'better' then you" fight.
I know I'm guilty of this mentality. The idea that I have to beat someone else and the constant comparing and judging that we have to do in order to decide who's better.
I think this fight has trickled into the church. The need to have our skirts always ironed, our Bibles always ready, our "Amen's" proudly audible. We've become addicted to perfection. And this places our worth in our ability to quote the scriptures eloquently, to win at a game of Bible pursuit, to know who Mephibosheth is and if we don't...then we soon should! We think we're the only ones wrestling to stay afloat. And honesty is thrown out the window.
The opposite then occurs: our hate for the sick, the ugly, the incapable, the smelly, the "un-saved" or the...sinner.
Yet Jesus never fed into any of this. He went against the grains of humanity and found solace in the house of the tax collectors, drank water from the wells of prostitutes, friendship with the poor fishermen. He didn't sit and entertain kings or prance around in lively colored gowns. He loved. He loved the ones no one dared look at.
He whispers that kind of love still today and reaches out His arms to the
wounded, blind, sick, marginalized, dirty, deformed, homosexual, AIDS victims, pro-choice, sexually perverse, wicked, slow, despicable, addicted, uneducated, liberal, communist, dark skinned, jailed, ugly and sinful...
Why is it we feel uncomfortable with these kinds of people? Where did this mentality begin that "we're different/better" from them? And most importantly, where the idea come from that these people aren't the ones that we should welcome into our churches? Since when are we ever better then anyone else?
Jesus calls us to let go of our judgement stones and forgive them. To realize that grace is for all. The scale is equal.
John Stott- an interpretation of Matthew 25 by a homeless women:
I was hungry and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your church and prayed for my release.
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God,
but I am still very hungry - and lonely - and cold.
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Don't worry...
God remembers we are made from dust; That we make constant mistakes.
He remembers and yet still believes that the greatest among His loves is us.
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1 comment:
That is so well written...thanks Kim. For the last two years that is exactly what God keeps working on me about. I am no better than anyone else, God made and loves us all and all I can do is openly with none of my judgments accept others. We so called Christians don't want to get involved...cause its messy. But our God is an involved God. Love you so excited to hear what you are thinking, hope to talk to you in person some day. You ROCK!! Love Becky
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