I sometimes
click on the borderline over-the-top political (conservative) links that some
of you post on social media.
The reason I
click on them is because I want to see what people post in response to them. (it
seems strange to me that I do this)
Politically,
I am an Independent. However, most of my
social media “friends” are Republicans (or at least they are strongly
conservative). But I do also have some
social media “friends” who are Democrats (or at least they are strongly
liberal).
It seems
that some conservatives think that liberals are the sinful scum of the earth. It also seems that some liberals think that
conservatives are the self-righteous scum of the earth.
These groups
of “some” on both sides repulse me, so I don’t feel like I could belong in
either party. Of course, I am sure that
someone thinks that I am some sort of scum of the earth as well.
Back to my
original point about social media posts –
I read
derogatory posts about “religious people” that actually hurt my feelings.
It goes like this
> a conservative/evangelical
posts border line over-the-top propaganda that sometimes (but not always) is
derogatory toward liberals
> liberals see it and are offended
> liberals
lash out at conservatives/evangelicals calling them all sorts of derogatory
things, and many of these derogatory things involve Christianity
> ALL of
these things make me sad – the conservative/evangelical posts and the liberal
posts.
But it’s
really the Christian haters that upset me.
Time out:
-
I
used to be one of the people who shunned words like “religion” and
“Christianity,” (I was a “it’s not a religion, it’s a relationship” guy)
because I was ashamed of the way “other people” who go to church and claim to
be Christians were not truly sold out to the gospel. That was an arrogant stance on my part, and I
have felt convicted about that. While I
do not wish to be “religious” in the ways Pharisees or Scribes were religious,
I am a religious person who is a Christian and loves Jesus. I consider myself sold out, but the truth is
– I probably misrepresent Christ just as much as the average “church goer.”
Ok, time in…
These posts
that I read aren’t even directed specifically at me which makes me feel
frustrated wthat I am offended by them instead of just blowing them off.
I typically
use this blog to process my thoughts as I work thru something so here it goes:
My feelings
are hurt because I feel like these insults are directed at the Most High God
who is my Savior, Jesus Christ.
I am fairly
open-minded about most everything (I say this with the realization that in reality
I may be more close-minded than I think).
However, one
thing that I choose to be unmovable on is the Most High God.
(I am also unmovable
in my opinion that Kanye West is a moron and his music should somehow be
destroyed forever and ever).
----So my
feelings are hurt because my Savior who is the delight of my life is being
misrepresented.
I’ve
experienced reconciliation thru Jesus that has generated true passion in my
life.
His
unconditional love for me brings me to my knees. His mercy overwhelms me. His grace gives me peace and rest. Even in my own struggles and irresponsibility,
He runs out to meet me with a robe and a ring for my finger. Not because He doesn’t care what I do, but
because He cares that I am His.
When I feel
shame and guilt, He welcomes me in to His presence like a child who was lost
but now is found. Not because he delights in my sin, but because I am His – and
His love makes me clean.
He does not
require me to clean up myself. He took
care of that for me, and my gratitude for that makes me give my best efforts to
honor Him. I don’t always get it right,
but that doesn’t surprise Him.
So my hurt
feelings are because Jesus is being rejected.
I do not
remember the actual words that are posted about Christians or “religious
people” being scum of the earth.
But the
posts have gotten to be so hateful, it is not that much of a stretch for them to remind me of a crowd shouting, “CRUCIFY HIM!”
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