Preaching to the choir

So just the other day a member of my family approached me and hit me with a heavy statement. They said to me, "Yea, I do get tired of all the harsh things you say against Christians."  I sort of had it coming though (as you notice below at the end of my previous blog), and I presumed there may eventually be some people out there, yes even brothers and sisters in Christ, who may get riled up about topics I touch on now and again.

I made peace with the fact that if I was going to do this blog and start sharing my writing with the world, that if I was going to follow God's leading on my heart to speak what I believe is truth that He has revealed to me in my young life and through my experiences that reveal understanding that goes hand in hand with His word and the truth of Scripture, that I was going to say things from time to time that push people, that make them push back.

The truth is, I don't like or want to say that I'm "preaching" per say, because I don't claim to get everything right 100% of the time, as my interpretation of life and faith is my own... flawed and human. Though I guess I sort of am preaching in my own weird 'handling static' kind of way. And, perhaps, I may even be preaching to the choir from time to time. However, my purpose is not to preach TO or talk AT anyone, but rather to present my commentary on life in a way that welcomes healthy dialogue and honest discussion, and hopefully somewhere in all my ramblings some food for thought.

I get the feeling that it can be hard for my fellow Christ-followers to always read the things I'm saying, because I do take issue with things we Christians do. I don't always want to talk about flowers and daisies and that the world is made of marshmellows, and I certainly don't want to present that as a reality to my fellow believers who know that we as Christians are a dysfunctional family like every other family, except our need for change is more dyer and urgent than any other family therapy session that's every taken place anywhere else. So therefore, sometimes I feel the need to address the fact that the flowers and daisies smell like crap once in a while, and that certain petals may need to be replenished so they can grow beautiful again and give the oxygen of hope to a world that needs it.

If we as Christians are the hands and feet of Jesus, then our hands have to be washed on a regular basis and they can't have dirt underneath the fingernails. Our toenails need to be clipped and we have to tend to the blisters and bunions on the bottom of them so they can move towards a goal and accomplish what they need to for the church. Therefore, preaching to the choir is not always a bad thing as the famous phrase may like to propose. It can be a time for cleansing, for deciding what needs to be cleaned and what doesn't.

I think we as followers of Christ are absolutely vital to the hope of humanity because we hold the Truth and we know the hope we have, while others do not. Therefore, if we are missing opportunities to love and to care for the people we engage every day, I want to present obstacles and distractions I think we can work to remove from the picture so that people see Jesus again, see Love, see hope, rather than seeing us screwing up again on the world stage of misunderstood Christianity.

I love that I am a child of God, that Jesus is my Savior. I am glad that He created us to be in communion with one another, to need each other, to love and encourage each other, and to take care of one another.

I want to talk about as much good things as bad, but I do not want to ignore the bad. We as brothers and sisters in Christ are obligated to help one another and look out for each other. You wouldn't let someone walk up on a stage in front of thousands of people if their fly was down or if their blouse was tangled up in their dress, would you? In the same way, I want to (and I want you to do the same for me and everyone else) make sure you stand on the stage with the words of Jesus rather than the comfort of "staying safe" in a Christian bubble.

So with all that said, I hope that as my ramblings continue to be posted on this website, that you all may push back, challenge me as much as I challenge you, and together we can weather the storms of this world together with the shared hope and faith that gives all of our lives real, honest purpose.

Rock on all you cool cats, and God keep each of you safe as a new week begins!