...And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. ---Acts 11:26b
As most of you know, we are ministering on the front lines in Harrisburg as community life coaches. God has been using this aspect of our ministry to provide practical tools for people who are trying to rebuild their lives in the midst of great devastation. Part of that recovery process involves referring them to mental health professionals who can help them to work through the pain of the past, while we are helping them begin making plans for the future.
As we have coached our clients, worked with professionals, consulted with heterosexual couples, and had impromptu conversations with a gay couple, we have been astounded by a very negative theme that has been at the core of nearly every encounter; and that has been people's understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
Before I go any further, I need to ask you to intentionally lay aside all feelings of offense and don't get defensive about what I'm about to tell you. This is more of an informal survey and an observation, but it is extremely important if we are going to be serious about reaching people today.
From what people have expressed to us, these are their definitions of the word Christian, at least according to what they all have experienced first-hand, primarily from family members, co-workers, classmates and various professionals.
Christian: Someone who abuses you physically, sexually, mentally and emotionally, and then stands in a pulpit and preaches about love.
Christian: Someone who hates Blacks, Latinos and Asians, and then preaches about love on Sunday morning.
Christian: Someone who is vindictive, cruel, unloving, and vengeful, but they attend their church every week, participating in its many activities and events.
Christian: A religious group who slaughtered the natives of this land, brought in slaves, and use big business and politics to continue to promote their way of life.
Christian: Dominating, imperialistic people who have an agenda to force everyone into their way of thinking and living.
Christian: Evangelical, right wing, conservative, Tea Party, racist, KKK, Bible quoting, hypocrites.
Christian: African American pastors who impregnate young girls in their churches, force them to get abortions, manipulate people to give money, and do nothing but grandstand in the public to draw attention to themselves.
Christian: Gullible congregants who continue to follow and support corrupt church leaders and will defend those leaders, no matter what.
Christian: African American congregants who live out nothing that they profess. They are often the worst employees, and the most unreliable business people.
Christian: Someone who buries all of the family secrets with religious talk. They never talk about their own dirt and never explain themselves. They never answer real questions and shun anyone who is not perfect like they pretend to be.
Christian: Fake people, phony people, liars, and hypocrites.
This is just a small sampling of the type of descriptions that have invaded our conversations. Ever since God led us to the front lines of Harrisburg, we have been brought face to face with where people REALLY are in their thinking and beliefs.
We realize there are some people who are just looking for excuses to live any way they choose, but these descriptions came up in the midst of conversations about past trauma, NOT religious debates or complaints about the Church. After many of our coaching sessions and private conversations, we could only sigh and say, "No wonder people don't come to our churches anymore."
We even found opposition to our Life Coaching because of this misconception. One young lady cancelled several appointments with us because her abusive, religious mother has the same title of Life Coach within the church she attends. So this young woman thought our coaching was going to be like her mother's coaching. When this came out in our session we told her, "Life Coaching is not about dictating to people and doing things to try to run another person's life." She was so relieved to find out that we were not like her religious, mean, unloving, and hypocritical mother.
The challenge is quite daunting as we work past decades and centuries of a type of Christianity that was never of God. But people don't know that, so we are out there showing who Jesus (Yeshua) Christ really is.
The other challenge is that many Christians want to defened the Church by dismissing the actual trauma that has been caused by Christians. But you cannot defend the Church by denying what people have gone through, no more than you can defend America by denying slavery and racism. Yes, one can defend their cause, but denying reality is not the way to do it.
We encourage you to take on the challenge with a different strategy. Instead of merely proclaiming that you're a genuine Christian and you're "standing up" for the true Church, just show the wounded the true love of Jesus Christ. Humble yourself and acknowledge what has happened and the pain that has been caused. It can be as simple as saying, "Yes, you're right. That never should have happened. I'm so sorry that happened to you."
Please don't take the defensive road and say, "But we're not all like that." That is the same defense that ruffles those of us who have endured police harrassment through traffic stops. We're always told that they're not all like that. We already know that they're not all like that. But it doesn't take all policemen to profile us and pull us over in baseless traffic stops. It only takes ONE. So again, don't get defensive. Just be humble.
Personally, in my own understanding, I try to make a distinction between the Church as a religous institution, versus the Church, the people who have the living God indwelling them. When asked, I find myself telling people that I follow The Way, which is what this original move of God was called before Believers were given the name, Christians in the city of Antioch.
"But this I confess to you, that according to THE WAY, which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets." ----Acts 24:14
I find this description disarms prejudices and biases, and makes people a little bit more curious.
During the last century, the word Christian has developed a very different meaning. Therefore what people understand about the Church is skewed as well. In this century, in the understanding of many (if not most people), a Christian has very little to do with Christ. I used to get very upset with that conflicting reality, but now, I no longer fight it. We don't have time to waste, trying to change everyone's personal definition of what it means to be a Christian or what is the Church.
However, we can work and live to change their understanding of Christ Himself. We're on the front lines of this battle, and that's what we are doing with greater success every day.
For the least of these,
Coach Chris Green
