Eating their Young

Lunch with a friend turned into another story about another church that had hurt someone.  Familiar story.  I left with my stomach full and my heart sick.

I love God.  I believe HE gave His son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay a debt that I could not owe - my own sin.  I believe that a life committed to Jesus, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, is the greatest, most rebellious, most adventures ride of my life.  I also believe in "the church" ... those who follow after Jesus.  I believe "the church" to be the picture of love.

Having said all that, I am sick.  I am sick that another group of people gathering under a cross and calling themselves a church has eaten another of their young.  What a picture we paint of what it means to be "religious".

I'm tired of this scenario.  I'm pretty sure God must be, too.  The Bible says that the truth will set us free.  Yet, for many of us who have a membership to a religious building, it costs too much and there is no freedom.

I want to say to those who don't fit into the church scene, I'm sorry.  I'm sorry that there are so few examples of what a body ... what a unified and loving group of people who say they love God and follow Jesus ... looks like.  Dare I say there are lots of good people attending buildings on Sunday mornings.  Dare I say there are few committed, truth seeking, giving their lives up only to find their lives groups of people sharing what it means to follow God ... but they do exist.  Take heart!  We are out there!

I want to say don't judge God based on bad examples.  Judge God on His merit, not the merit of those who follow after rules, standards, and man-made traditions that pale in reflecting Almighty God, giver of Life and Freedom and Power.

Ranting about things that matter,
christina