Words to Chew On...

"We can not blame the darkness for being dark,
but must blame the light for not shining in the darkness."
--- Craig Gross

This goes at the root of an issue I believe we (the church) has suffered from for far to long. We hold people to Christian rules and commandments when they haven't signed up to play our game. We tell them what the Bible says, forgetting that the Bible is written to God's children. Topics like homosexuality are greatly attacked from the Christian front as attacks on marriage, when it would be even more shocking to realize just how many divorces come from Christian homes. Which attack is more damaging?

It seems we are more focused on people being transformed to the image of our comfort than the image of God. In scripture we see Jesus take a totally different approach than most of us do when it comes to interacting with people who don't have a relationship with God. We see an overload of grace and acceptance equaled with undeniable truth. In fact, His harshest words are reserved for the church and her willingness to miss the mark completely.

I don't mean to sound overly critical of the church. I love the church and what we stand for. I believe that we can turn this world upside down in love. I only want to be honest about our current state and not live in a fantasy world where all is not as it seems.

Our issue isn't that we live in a dark world.
Our issue is that we are not shining in love near enough.
We need to realize that our influence is best accepted when we have permission to speak truth into the hearts of willing people. Not shouting at them with the list of the things they are doing wrong. I believe that is the church we are called to be.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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