Saturday, April 20, 2013

Where to Hang our Hat

Where do we Christians in America get to hang our hats?  Where do we get to point, to demonstrate that we are in fact good Christians?

Can we point to the fact that we suffer such persecution?  Admit it, you've probably heard people talk about how Christians are getting picked on, or how if gay marriage passes we might have some pastors end up in jail...

But that's not persecution.  Not really.

Can we point to how we have positively shaped the culture?  Sex, violence, abortion - our vaunted Christian culture is disdained by theists around the world. 

Can we point to our works - how we are growing and progressing?  Well, we live in the richest culture in the world, and yet how stingy do we remain.  James tells us that love is to aid widows and orphans, and most of us conservative types are more worried about having to pay extra taxes... ("Hey, government policies aren't the best way to help!" - fair enough, but where are the programs that we organize ourselves).  No, instead of increased love for the neighbor, if we look honestly we see increased disdain -- especailly those who aren't as "Christian" as we are because they are ruining our culture.

Where do we hang our hat?

We must hang it on Christ.

Maybe we will see the thorns around us, and instead of glorying in how sharp and pointy (and obviously blessed by God they are), we will cling again to Christ and Him alone.

No comments: