Dear Christians…
This is a letter I wrote last night.
Dear Body of Christ,
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, listen up. And listen close.
I believe I am obliged to use this medium to express myself to my brothers and sisters around the world…on Facebook. Remarkable.
I am deeply sorrowed tonight, and not because of this election.
In complete truth, I am deeply sorrowed by Christians.
Yes. It is true.
And in being remarkably honest, if I were not a Christian and I had read a lot of the comments expressed here on Facebook alone, not to mention outside of Facebook, I would most definitely not want to be one.
There are many Christians I have either spoken with, read about, heard about, and witness that are absolutely SOILING the name of Jesus Christ in their reactions to this presidential election. I am absolutely serious when I say that many of the comments that have been made have revolted me beyond disgusted. In speaking with a friend just moments ago, she said to me, “I’ve never heard [Christians] cuss so much in my life. I guess it’s okay now?” Comments being made about assassination, impeachment, moving, protesting, picketing, assertions of an antichrist, and many other choice terms, phrases, and sayings…all from my Christian brothers and sisters.
This, my friends, is vile, disgusting, and sinful.
At the moment, I couldn’t care less what Obama stands for or what he plans to do. If I had to choose between complaining about Obama and rebuking my brethren, it seems I’ve made my choice. We are NOT called to this, my friends. We are NOT called to be like the world. Cursing? Out of place. Assassination? Murder? How is this at all condoned and justified? Scared for our country? Frightened of a president who doesn’t agree with you? Are Christians really called to live in fear, or in hope?
And running? Is this what Christianity is about now? Because I definitely see Jesus doing that. I see Jesus running from His calling and from His responsibility. I see Jesus calling Pilate names and cursing at the Pharisees. I see Him taking one look at the cross and saying, “Screw that, I’m moving to Greece.”
No, actually.
That was sarcasm.
Jesus took the circumstances around Him and used them. He was presented with opportunities, and He seized them. He was given instructions, and He obeyed them. He was given a calling, and He fulfilled it.
Friends, as Christians, we are not called to run. We are not called to turn tail and hide at the first sign of opposition (remarkably, this isn’t our first opposition).
2 Timothy chapter 3 speaks of this.
Many Christians will only read the first nine verses, where it speaks about the “last days”. It speaks of lovers of self, arrogant, heartless, unholy, etc etc. It talks about what the world will look like and how depraved it will be. BUT THEN! It speaks to the Christian, and this is the one that many Christians skip over. It calls us to live in holiness, following the teachings of the Scriptures, carrying on in patience and steadfastness.
Then it finishes up with these two verses:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God for profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Every good work, my friends.
It continues on in the next chapter to call us to teach and preach the Word. Does it speak of running? Does it speak of cursing? Does it speak of condemnation and crass phraseology? Never.
And finally, 2 Timothy 4:5: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
An evangelist doesn’t run. An evangelist doesn’t hide. An evangelist doesn’t judge.
He shares the Gospel. He shares Jesus. He loves. He opens up his heart to those who need Jesus.
And we’re not doing that enough. Sorry, but we’re not.
Obama won. Big deal. Stop freaking out about it and realize that we have been given an opportunity by God to love. Don’t you see that?
Don’t look at it negatively or pessimistically…look at it as an opportunity. Legalization of partial birth abortion? That means Christians need to up our game in reaching those mothers and loving them and listening to them and showing them Jesus. Gay marriage? Do we even talk with the gay community? Are we welcoming them into our lives? Are we showing them love? Are we showing them Jesus?
Pessimism is wrong in this case. This is a call for Christians to wake up and get a move on. It’s an opportunity to be Jesus.
It is not a time to spew forth tripe and garbage. It is not a time to be brought to such a horrific low. How dare you throw my Jesus’ name in the mud? How dare you treat God and His commands in such contempt? If you are going to disgrace His name, do it under a different title than Christian, because Jesus wore love, not a political jacket.
For those of you who read this who are not Christians, I apologize deeply for the horrifying reactions of a large portion of the Christian community in response to this election, because that is not how we are called to live, and those who are doing so are not reflecting Jesus as we are called to.
And now, as an encouragement to my brothers and sisters after giving you such a hardcore wedgie…let’s love! It is time to show Jesus to the world. We HAVE hope and we HAVE joy and we HAVE peace that is given by the Holy Spirit. Let’s bring people to Him. We have eternity to rejoice and live with the Lord, and let’s go get as many people as we can to take with us. Let’s take a stand and step forth.
No one was ever converted to Christianity by losing an argument.
It is all in love, friends. Let’s find the people that need it, let’s love them, let’s bring them to Jesus, and let’s let Him to the work. That’s what He does.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
A Christian
