What do you do when someone can't separate Jesus Christ from the Christians who abused them, and either walks away, or struggles with Jesus Himself because of how those who profess Him have portrayed Him through their actions? What do you do when someone is capable of walking away from Christ because they never actually met Him through the people they were supposed to, but only counterfeits and false masks?
I feel like I want to say, "If you only knew Him!" But they think they have, and it hurt them. Even if they have, they're finding it hard to look at Him in the same way because of what He's been made out to be.
I want to sob. Not just cry. Not just weep. Sob. Because "Christians" don't realize what they're doing when they're not actually following Him. They don't realize what they're doing when they're preaching law, morality, hate for certain groups. They don't realize what they're doing when they put "orthodoxy" above the love, kindness, and compassion which was and is Jesus Christ. They don't realize how many people they're actually hurting in their quest to get people "saved." And they're doing it in His Name.
It is more than important that those who claim to remain in Him walk as He walked. It is absolutely mandatory. It is His command that we love one another. It was His teaching and instruction that we love God, love our neighbors, love our enemies. It was His Apostles who taught that "The person who doesn't love doesn't know God, because God is love," and "without love, I have nothing and am nothing." It is mandatory that those who claim to remain in Him manifest Him in their words and actions. It is mandatory that people be able to know Him through us. Not excuses. Not "I'm not perfect just forgiven." Because those kinds of excuses while we play games and sing songs are driving people away from Him because they can't see Him in us, or hear His voice. Every person who names himself or herself a Christian is responsible for the name of Jesus Christ. Every person who names himself or herself a Christian is responsible for living as He taught. Struggling is one thing, failure and growth is one thing, as long as we keep moving forward in our surrender to the Spirit of Christ within us. Hiding behind "I'm not perfect just forgiven" in order to not live as He taught is an excuse, and it hurts people and drives them away from Him.
You're either moving forward or you're moving backwards. There is no status quo which can be maintained in discipleship. You're either pushing towards the goal, or you're throwing the race because you don't really care or you think you've already won without crossing the finish line. I've got news. It doesn't work that way. St. Paul was one of the most Christlike men who has ever lived up until he was beheaded. He himself said he hadn't won the race yet. He pushed for it all of his reborn life and taught others to do the same. He himself said he hadn't arrived at the goal yet in one of the last letters he wrote from Rome. Don't think you've got laurels you can rest on. It's being like Jesus at His resurrection or bust.
The lives of everyone else you meet or interact with depend on it.
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