Bad religion and good grace. Jesus needs new PR!

Over the years I have been party to my fair share of bad religion! I like to think (and hope) that my bad religion was motivated by naive passion and ignorance.

I've preached my fair share of sermons that have intended to 'convict' people of their guilt. I have participated in judging the behaviour (or lack thereof) among certain groups and in certain individuals - as if somehow I occupy a higher moral and religious ground than they do, and so have a right to pass judgment. I have labeled people (sometimes unknowingly, and in other situations out of anger or disgust). Bad religion... There is a lot of that around.

Thankfully it is not the whole picture of the Church! I think that Jesus needs new PR! (Public relations) I certainly haven't done much to help others to connect with the Christ whose love I experience. Neither have I helped them to understand the depths of his grace and the wonder of acceptance - not because of who you are, but in spite of who you are. This Jesus is wonderful, and I realise that Jesus needs new PR! Just look at this glorious sunset above! Wow, if only I could capture just one iota of God's beauty in my actions, words, and thoughts - just a tiny glimpse of something as magnificent as this display of God's creative beauty... But, sadly, I can witness it (this photo was taken near my home with my cellphone camera), but I cannot seem to share it as I would like to.

I recently read a comment on a blog where someone said "I don't mind Jesus, it's his wife I don't trust!" The bride of Christ - we can be pretty harsh!

As I mentioned in a previous post I have recently been reading Barbara Kingsolver's book "The poisonwood Bible" - it has affected me profoundly. I read a lot - perhaps two (or more) books a week. I have been sleeping a lot better in recent months because of increased exercise, but I still wake at 3.30 or 4am and spend some time reading. Well, this book has been my companion on those early mornings. It has caused me to weep - mainly it has reminded me of the need to confess my own propensity towards the 'bad religion'.

This book is wonderfully written - it offers a realistic and balanced view of individuals, families and communities that are influenced by the Christian faith. It is not shy to extol the virtues and unmeasurable value of having faith in Christ. Yet, it is realistic and balanced enough to be critical of the negative effects of our faith upon ourselves and others.

Indeed, as I read it I realise that the loving, servant, Christ needs new PR! He deserves it, and the whole world deserves to experience His love and grace! I am sadenned by my own inability to represent him well. I am discouraged by a Church (not any Church in particular, but many Churches on the whole) that are self obsessed, served by people who have lost their passion and love for Christ, and their passion and love for those whom Christ loves. I am sadened that we do not encounter the world with loving truth, the truth of Christ's love that welcomes every person that he has created!

A friend and I were recently talking about the narrative of the Church - I have a quote from a British humanist who said that "The narrative of the contemporary Church is either schism or decline". Within the Church we are quick to blame 'others' for this sad reality. Liberals blame conservatives for keeping people out of the Church. Conservatice blame liberals for making entry so easy that it bears no value. I have come to realise that as a 'liberal evangelical' (sometimes called an 'emergent' Christian) my perspective may be different from that of my conservative sisters and brothers, but my convictions are pretty much the same. I am also a fundamentalist! My fundamentals are just slightly different. I too believe in the supremacy of scripture, but somehow that 'supremacy' (like with other 'fundamentalists') is so closely tied to my own views and perspectives on reality that it becomes exclusive). Sure, I'm 'inclusive', but I do tend to be more 'inclusive' of those who share my views and more condemnatory of those who don't. We're not all that different, my conservative family and my liberal family...

Thankfully Jesus is not like me - although I do wish that I could be more like him! Thankfully the ways of Jesus are not like mine - although I do pray that my wise would become more like his!

So, Jesus needs better PR! What do you think?