The Church, the Jesus Way, and Britney Spears
Sometimes I speculate as to how the world sees the church. Although I desperately want to believe the church is viewed in a positive light, I somehow doubt it. I would imagine the world looks down on the church. We’re probably viewed as spiritual elitists, holier-than-thou, pious, and as people who think that anyone outside the four walls of our buildings are doomed to an eternity in hell. If my hunch is correct, can we blame them?
What has the church really done to be Jesus to the world in which we live? The world viewed Jesus in a more positive light than the religious leaders of his day. Jesus was accepted by sinners because he accepted them. He didn’t judge them. He didn’t condemn them. He had a unique way of accepting the sinner without accepting the sin: a brilliant concept the church today would benefit from if we would apply it liberally. But we don’t. We sit in our ivory towers of self-righteousness and dispense judgment, criticism, and condemnation to the sinful world around us.
Case in point: Britney Spears. Those two words spoken together bring snickering and criticism to the lips of many people…even Christians. I know; I was one of them. Yeah, she’s weird. She’s “messed up.” She’s made some poor choices and unwise decisions. She’s a lost soul seeking refuge in a world of confusion. Who among us is not or has not been in the same boat? My “messed up” may look different from Britney’s, but we’re both still “messed up.” My poor choices may pale in comparison with hers, but I’ve still made them. She and I are really not that different. Yet she is scorned by the church. We toss her aside like all the other “wackos” and move on to those who “want to do what’s right” and make good choices. In other words, we attempt to surround ourselves with people who are “just like us.”
I wonder what would happen if, instead of constantly criticizing and judging sinners around us, we would love them and accept them as Jesus did? I wonder what would happen in the hearts of sinful people if their sin was rejected, but they weren’t? What would happen if Britney Spears got a glimpse of Christians pouring out love and prayers on her instead of judgment and gossip? Time may tell. For you see, a mega church in Kentucky has decided to do just that. When challenged with just such a proposal, over 1,000 single moms inundated Ms. Spears with letters of kindness expressing their love and prayers on her behalf. They even told Britney that she is welcome to come to Kentucky anytime if she ever wants to take advantage of free Christian counseling. Will anything come of it? Who knows? But even if Ms. Spears rejects the letters and the love, praise God that a church in Kentucky has made the decision to love instead of condemn! Hate the sin; love the sinner. Sounds like the Jesus way of doing things, doesn’t it?
The church is a religious organization. So was the Temple. Now Jesus was a Rabbi and Teacher so being busy with a ‘belief organization’ should be cool : it’s just that he was betrayed and sent to be Crucified by those who claimed to portray God’s Will to man.
That doesn’t follow any precept of “love” I recognize.
Look around. The U.S. is obsessed with “danger” and “Islam” and on and on : while raking it in from sale of weapons.
Sodom and Gomorrah are likely to have company.
Monte Asbury ( WordPress )has more patience than I do. He seems able to reconcile the stress between the wickedness of the world, ministry,and the shrill hateful lies that fill “media”.
He talks peace and reconciliation without passing on the evil that dominates public ‘discussion’.
I often ache for the Owen Wilson, Heath Ledger, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan’s of the world. They are hurting people in need of Jesus just like the rest of us but they seem so far removed from regular folks that I wonder who can, who would reach out to them? I think it is great that a church has taken on the task of trying. May God soften Britney’s heart so that their love can penetrate it.
A while back while talking to teens about Jeffrey Dahmer, I told them about how he accepted Christ as his savior and was baptized. I talked about how one lady made it her mission to reach him while he was in prison, and ultimately he made that commitment. One of the kids responded that she wanted no part of heaven if the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer were going to be there. But I countered, don’t you want to be with a God that can forgive so BIG that He can forgive EVEN Jeffrey Dahmer? In fact, don’t we read the words penned by one even more notorious than Jeffrey Dahmer when we read the books written by Paul? And what wondrous things God had in store for him!
I am reminded of Jesus’ words “how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” (Matt 7:4, NKJV) Like it or not, Jesus was talking to us when we judge others. Mind you, I think Jesus was saying exactly what you said… separate the sin from the sinner. We have to be careful that when we mete out judgment, that we are judging the action, not the actor.
God Bless!
A while back while talking to teens about Jeffrey Dahmer, I told them about how he accepted Christ as his savior and was baptized. I talked about how one lady made it her mission to reach him while he was in prison, and ultimately he made that commitment. One of the kids responded that she wanted no part of heaven if the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer were going to be there. But I countered, don’t you want to be with a God that can forgive so BIG that He can forgive EVEN Jeffrey Dahmer? In fact, don’t we read the words penned by one even more notorious than Jeffrey Dahmer when we read the books written by Paul? And what wondrous things God had in store for him!
I am reminded of Jesus’ words “how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” (Matt 7:4, NKJV) Like it or not, Jesus was talking to us when we judge others. Mind you, I think Jesus was saying exactly what you said… separate the sin from the sinner. We have to be careful that when we mete out judgment, that we are judging the action, not the actor.
God Bless!
A much needed post on a difficult topic. Great post! Great post.
This is a very truthful reality, harsh as it is. My last years I have spent learning about faith among pagan people, always advising them that I am Christian. Curiously, I was readly accepted and I found lovely brothers and friends among them, just practicising the way of love I learned from Jesus teachings… and sometimes I failed to find this just among Christians. Think how they’d be received among a Chunch’s comunity if they started saying “I am pagan, and you will not change this”. Who is doing wrong?
Fabriozo
I haven’t meant to sound harsh. I won’t say I haven’t found the situation as you describe – although I have not mixed in the company you describe for some time.
“Brotherhood” never meant my brother’s brains were mush. Our duty to Jesus ends with setting an example using the precepts learned from him : he was no stickler for “The Letter of the Law”, but mixed with all levels of society, acknowledging all as God’s Children.
Call it good.
Great post. Thanks for washing our feet with this one.
Keep bringing it!