Sorry it's been a while since I've posted... I've been ill a lot lately, so would appreciate your prayers for good health. As I mentioned once before, I have one more archived piece to share, and this is the last of them. All else will be new material, never published or passed around before. I wrote this piece the last Christmas we served overseas, while we were in Ankara, Turkey in 2005. This was the first of my pieces that had a less than 'sweetness-and-light' tone to it, falling more under what I would think of as 'salt of the earth'... a little more spicy in admonishing those who are supposed to 'be on my side' in being in the world without being of the world, ie fellow Christians. I'm really sad to say that it's still as relevant this year as it was when I wrote it. People are being so ridiculous about taking political correctness too far, and I'm sorry to hear that a lot of them identify themselves as Christians. This piece was directed at them, questioning their true motives. If the shoe fits, I pray that you'll be convicted, and rethink you're approach. If not, I cheerfully wish you a Merry Christmas!
All the fuss this past Christmas Season over whether to wish people a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whether this store or that ever mentions the word Christmas anywhere in their ads, in their stores or amongst their personnel has had me feeling rather bemused. On the one hand, it is rather insulting that in some places we have seen mention of other holidays: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan, but no mention of Christmas. But on the other, as I see it, we American Christians have no one to blame but ourselves if our country is drifting so far away from its Christian roots despite the majority of Americans identifying themselves as being Christians. We've allowed ourselves to be intimidated by tiny minority groups insisting on their "right" to be spared any mention of our beliefs (no such right appears in the US Constitution.) We've stood by quietly in too many places as one symbol after another of our faith has been removed, from nativity scenes to the Ten Commandments on which our country's laws were based. We've cooperated with the "political correctness" movement for too long, and now anything goes except Christianity. And it seems to me that some of the very people who are shouting the loudest for silencing any expression of our beliefs are people who claim to be Christians themselves! I find that really troubling!
From these people, I hear "I have no right to force my beliefs on others." And, "Thumping people over the head with my bible isn't going to convert them." And, "I'm showing people of other faiths respect by not offending them with mine." Oh my. While I can agree that being obnoxious about sharing our faith isn't going to attract any new followers for Christ, I sincerely doubt that these sentiments are all that altruistic, but rather are tools that the enemy is using to weaken the church, just as he uses the phrase "separation of church and state" which appears nowhere in the US Constitution, to inspire people to bend over backwards to erase our country's heritage. Now I might make myself unpopular with Christians who think this way by saying this, but Luke 17:3 says "If your brother sins, rebuke him," so here goes: These reasons given for not expressing or displaying the Christian faith sound too much like excuses to me. Self-serving excuses. Why?
The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." We are commanded to spread the good news that Jesus gave us. How, pray tell, can we do that if we "shield" anyone who might be offended from any mention of our faith? Not all of us are called to be evangelists and missionaries, but we are all to play some part in sharing the gospel with those around us. And yes, I know it can be uncomfortable to tell other people about something that is so personal to us as Jesus is. We risk rejection. We risk ridicule. We risk being asked questions we might feel unqualified to answer. This is the real reason, I believe, why so many American Christians want to side with "political correctness" while Christians in many other countries are willing to die for their faith and are dying. I believe many of us want to be absolved of this commandment. It won't work.
Just as the prophet Ezekiel was warned by God (Ezekiel 3:18-19) that he would be held accountable for failing to warn Israel of the consequences of her sins, I believe we will also be held accountable for failing to warn those around us now. Ezekiel wasn't held responsible for how Israel responded to the warnings, only for issuing them. I think the same thing applies to us today. Regarding learning from Israel's history, 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come."
There's a very broad line between thumping somebody over the head with our Bible and joyfully and publicly expressing our faith. I live in the Middle East, where proselytizing is frowned on at best, illegal and severely punishable at worst, yet I have little difficulty sharing my faith. I may not be able to proactively tell someone about the Gospel, but I can joyfully act in a loving and godly way that draws people to me. I can also display symbols of my faith on my person and in my home. If they then feel moved to ask me questions about my faith, I can then describe the source of my joy. No one is offended. Ironically, my Muslim neighbors here cheerfully wished me a Merry Christmas! As for public symbols of the Christian faith, we find those here in the Middle East too, carefully and respectfully preserved and maintained by Muslims so that the world may come to see them and wonder. How much easier, then, it should be in our great American country where we have full religious freedom! At least until we willingly give it up, may that day never come!
So given the knowledge of what will happen to those who have not been warned, who have not received salvation, how can any Christian justify to him or herself that he or she is respecting people of other faiths by not sharing ours in any way, shape or form? To me, it is so clearly not an act of respect, but one of great disservice! We're allowing people to stumble through life according to whatever way seems wise to them, while giving them no reason to even be curious about the Truth! And that leads to eternal death for them, and an accounting before the throne of God for us. I don't know about anyone else, but I fear that accounting before God far more than I fear any rejection or ridicule from man.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1Corinthians 16:13-14
Father, we come before You, thanking You and praising You for the true reason for this season- Your precious and only Son, Jesus Christ. No other gift in this world could compare to the One You already gave. Thank You! Help us to be both loving and bold in sharing this good news, to spread the joy we feel. Use us like stars of Bethlehem, guiding others towards You. Keep us pointing to and focused on the true meaning of Christmas throughout this season and all of the rest of the year. In Jesus' name we pray- Amen.
