What does Christianity look like from the outside?  What do people see when they see us?  Do they see righteousness?  Do they see purity?  Do they see love?  What do you see when you look at us?

I propose that there was a Man who walked this earth who lived differently than we do, yet freely embodied all that we strive to abide by.  I propose that could He walk this earth today, through you and I, in His fullness, things would be different than they are.  I propose that our rules, regulations and the shame of religion was not how He died that we might live.

Why, you ask, do we not know this?  Why, you question, do our pastors, preachers and teachers not believe this is true if it is?

Alive in Christ.  And Christ alive in us.  Freedom in Christ.  When He is free to reign over us.  Love the brethren.  Love just as He has Loved you.

Yet many are dead.  And Christ is not evident in their lives.  Many are oppressed and trapped.  For man still wields control over man.  We are not a family.  Little do we sacrifice that we might be truly one.

Where is the life I was promised?  Where is the life I read about?  What of the Savior who came and lived and freed and loved and bled and died and rose again that I may also truly live? 

I go to the churches, but I do not see Him there.  I go to my friends and I ask them, have they seen Him, but I see in their eyes their answer is the same as mine.  I ask the pastors and evangelists where I might find this One I have fallen in love with as I’ve read the Scriptures, but they have sought Him and found Him no more than the rest of us.  And many are tired of seeking Him.  But I must go on.  I must go on until I find Him as my soul longs for Him.

All rules, regulations and shame, is what I am told.  What happened to love, to sacrifice, to honor?  We say the words.  But they are only words. 

Instead of caring for the orphans sentenced to abortion and the children in foster homes longing for a permanent family in our midst, we write a check and send it overseas.  Instead of reaching out to our neighbor whose soul is just as in dire need as the heathen in Africa or Asia, we donate that missionaries might be sent to far-off lands.  Instead of embracing the lost with the Love of the Father and showing them what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, revealing it here and now, we read and preach about people who did, and embrace the loss of all that we could be.

Imagine an unwanted child were left on the steps of your church.  Imagine you had heard Jesus’ Words audibly, that you should “go” and make disciples of all nations!  Imagine a mother with a sick child came to you and begged you that you make him well.  Imagine you witnessed a young adulteress being verbally stoned and you were asked what you thought of her.  Imagine that those oppressed by the realm of darkness were brought to you and you were petitioned to set them free.  Imagine the risen Savior were right with you.

We can’t preach the Truth every week!  We’re kind to our neighbors—we share the Gospel through kindness.  If you expect us to be one of those pro-life churches, we’re not.  That’s not our ministry.  We only help people who attend this church regularly.  We’re ill-equipped to help people like that.  We are deeply concerned, but we’re not going to involve ourselves in a situation that will allow stress in our lives or contribute time towards someone not active in our church ministries.

But this is not how we were meant to be!

To be honest, as much as we love you, it sounds like you are arrogant and critical.  I’m offended that you would take the time to do nothing but insult your church family, with absolutely nothing good coming from it.  How can that take us deeper in love and Christ-likeness?  I’m an honest person and I’m not the person to cater to a critical spirit.

But this is not how we were meant to be.

How is it that I have so much and the world has so little?  How is it that I have fellowship while a child has no one on earth to love him?  How is it that I eat well while a child starves?  How is it that I am encouraged while they have no hope?  How is it that I am praised while God has never been named in some corner of the world?  How is it that I have hope and they have not?  Why is it that such blessings honor my name while the world questions God because it suffers so?  How is it that we have such beautiful buildings, receive gifts so abundant, hear the song over us so sweet and inspiring while the “least” of these, and the Son of God in our midst, has no place to lay his head?

We were meant to love Him, to love others, to walk in His Ways of sacrifice and freedom and honor and mercy and hope.  Are we a redeemed people?  Does your soul long for Him?  Then seek Him with me until you find Him to be your all in all, and all that this world needs, the One our hearts cry out to as we read Scripture and see Him as He is—the same yesterday, today and forever.

Friends, this is not how we were meant to be.  And we could be all that we were meant to be.  All we need is Him.

“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

–1 John 3:3

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.”

–1 Peter 1:22

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

–1 John 3:10-18

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” 

–Anne Frank

Copyrighted material, used with permission.