This post has been burning on my chest for a while and I was putting off writing this but an incident happened where I got so angry that I had to just put words to paper so to speak.
There have been incidents where I've seen the audacity of Christianity, the hatefulness of Christianity and they have made me shake with anger. How dare we as Christians feel so entitled, so holier than thou, to consider ourselves so much above those who we would classify as non-believers. It's such a nasty attitude, absolutely despicable behaviour towards those who we should be more than loving towards.
Especially towards the LGBTQIA+ community, there's this view that because their "gayness" is so visible that for some reason we need to treat them as if their very presence, their very existence is abhorrent to God. That God has recruited us personally to root it out and make it very clear that they have no place in the kingdom of God, that they are going straight to hell.
Oh it's such a horrific viewpoint, goes against the very nature of God. For so many years and still today the Church still doesn't know how to witness to the LGBTQIA+ community, how to include them, how to make them feel loved. Still after years and years, the only answer they feel they have, the only answer they feel is truth is the abhorrent conversion therapy which has brought about so much hurt and pain. Why is it so difficult? Why is it such a challenge to love, to accept individuals part of this community, why is it such a struggle to meet them where they are without the first words coming out of our mouths being a rebuke? One of my answers to this is because many Christians do not interact outside of their own bubbles, it's so easy to rebuke, to slander, to hate those who you have no relationship with. Too much talking and not enough listening to this community that we have hurt.
I've said many times before, that many people feel that God has given them the mantle of "Holy Spirit". I'm here to tell you, he has not. It is not your job to convict, it is not your job to convert. That is the work of the Holy Spirit himself, it is the beauty of the Gospel.
Some "controversy" that happened recently, I don't even want to acknowledge it as "controversy" because it was downright stupidity and dumb outrage. In one of the behind the scenes clips of one of my favourite shows "The Chosen". If you haven't heard of this show before, it is basically a multi-season show about the life of Christ through the eyes of His disciples whilst he was here on Earth. This show has changed my life and the lives of countless others. Free to watch here: https://watch.thechosen.tv/ or you can download the free app from the App Store: The Chosen. Anyways back to what I was saying. In one of their behind the scenes videos during the filming for Season 4, there was a little mini pride flag on one of the camera operator's equipment that featured quickly in the video. This sparked so much outrage amongst the conservative Christian community, many saying "The Chosen is promoting Pride", "The Chosen is flying a pride flag on set". Many of whom were demanding answers from Dallas Jenkins the creator of the show such as "Why would you allow this on set", "Why would you hire this person who is pushing their agenda on set, can't you just hire Christians" and spewing incredible hateful comments towards this particular camera operator who identifies as being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and it was so horrific to see.
This particular incident made me so angry and just reminded me that the Christian community is so entitled, judgemental and hateful. The fact that there have been many occasions where Christians have been discriminated against in the workplace, they were the same ones demanding that the creator of this tv show, fire this camera operator for literally having a flag on his own camera equipment. To police how his employees should express themselves at the workplace. Dallas Jenkins stood up for this particular camera operator as he should but it just made me so upset that the hate and the undignified audacity had to drive him to make a statement to address the situation. The entitlement of the Christian community to think that this show is for them only, that no one else can be invited to sit at the feet of Jesus unless they are already "saved" or "perfect" or "holy". Then have the audacity to complain as to why we can't reach these communities, why our witnessing efforts are in vain, why nothing is working.
It's quite laughable because it's literally like history repeating itself. It was just like how the Pharisees of the day and the Jewish people of the time expected Jesus to only come and witness and save them. Confused as to why Christ sat with and fellowshipped with unbelievers, outcasts of the day, sinners. Depsite, Christ clearly mentioning many times that he did not come to save the "righteous" but the sinners: "Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." [Mark 2:17 NLT]. And guess what, it is not "those people over there" who are the chief of sinners, we are ALL sinners in need of a Saviour. "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth." [1 John 1:8 NLT].
The Gospel is not just for you only, entitled Christians. The Gospel, the Good News of our loving and merciful Saviour is for all. So get off that high horse, this pedestal that you have put yourself on to think that you are better than everyone else because you are already "saved". Everyone is level at the foot of the cross, God came to save us ALL. The Gospel is not for you.
I hope & pray the Christian community is ready to hear, ready to listen, ready to be humble. We need to be more loving and understanding to build community outside of our norm. This is a righteous rebuke because I really want all to be saved and not be shocked that the righteous and loving life we thought we were living, that we thought was pleasing to God, we are standing on judgement day found wanting when God says I don't know you.
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
[1 John 4:7-8]
