Tuesday, July 29, 2014
What You Need To Know
Kate Shellnutt @ CT looks at how Google autofill stereotypes Christians. Examples:
None of those are positive, really. So here is a question - Do we respond to that by berating the lack of open-mindedness on the part of "the secularists at Google" or do we ask ourselves what we have done to earn such a "reputation?"
The answer, of course, is both. You see, there is no no question that those that do not want to comply with the basic teachings of the church will decry them as "judgmental" or some other such negative word. But it is equally true that we often communicate in a fashion that aids that labeling. So, for example, we do not need to begin to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies to be better perceived by the world - we need to figure out a way to say "No" in love.
My mind has been fascinated lately by Christ's encounter with the women at the well:
Somehow Jesus is able to say to this woman something that we need to say, continuing with our example, to homosexual couples, and have her come away impressed, not insulted. We need to learn how to do that. We need to be so open to the Holy Spirit that we can love is apparent even when we say things that the world would deem unloving.
If we want to change how the world perceives us, we need to let God change us on levels we may not even know we have - somewhere deep in our core. Are you willing to risk that?
change grace perception
The answer, of course, is both. You see, there is no no question that those that do not want to comply with the basic teachings of the church will decry them as "judgmental" or some other such negative word. But it is equally true that we often communicate in a fashion that aids that labeling. So, for example, we do not need to begin to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies to be better perceived by the world - we need to figure out a way to say "No" in love.
My mind has been fascinated lately by Christ's encounter with the women at the well:
John 4:16-20 - He said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.That is a fascinating exchange. Jesus not only confirms a personal truth about someone He has never met (What? has He been stalking her?) He tells her she has a fidelity issue. If you said that to someone that you just met, I do not think the response would be "I perceive you are a prophet." You'd get called names or slapped or some other very unpleasant scene would ensue.
Somehow Jesus is able to say to this woman something that we need to say, continuing with our example, to homosexual couples, and have her come away impressed, not insulted. We need to learn how to do that. We need to be so open to the Holy Spirit that we can love is apparent even when we say things that the world would deem unloving.
If we want to change how the world perceives us, we need to let God change us on levels we may not even know we have - somewhere deep in our core. Are you willing to risk that?
change grace perception
