[Part 1, Part 2]
In light of biblical Christianity, I truly cannot understand the aggressive and prideful mindset of American Christianity. Will anyone take the lower position? Will anyone believe that good can actually overcome evil? Who, before casting handfuls of stones will read what Jesus has written before us in the sand? Who will stand for what Jesus taught us and lay aside all of the patriotic-laced jargon and mindset that elevates us above others? I absolutely hate this favoritism mentality yet still see it buried deep within me from my upbringing in this nation. It all goes deep, my friend. We’re taught from birth to embrace what we like and, forgive my frankness, give the finger to what we don’t. It’s sickening and reeks of fleshly pride.
“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:2.
What the world needs to see, to know, is the agape of God. Love that knows no personal gain or elevation above another. We are all equal men and women sharing the earth for this season in time. No man is less deserving of love, forgiveness and mercy than I and absolutely no man is lesser. The King of all Glory, seated enthroned from before time and space as we know it even existed humbled Himself and became flesh and dwelt among us. He saw every man worthy of His life. (Yes, even those that you hate and believe deserve death.) When properly viewed (with the skewed lens of Christian-American morality laid aside) the biblical mandate given to us by Jesus, The Christ demands we love unconditionally and without favoritism. Interestingly, those who cast the most judgment in His day, hung Him, the very Son of God, naked on a cross with great delight because He opposed their earthly laws of judgment and elevation. They hated His teachings that all could come to God. The message that even the common, most vile man could approach God infuriated them because they thought that they alone should have access to Him. Sadly, little has changed and this depraved mindset still permeates modern-day Christianity. The elevated religious mindset still declares to all others that they deserve death if they do not conform to the established standards and doctrines.
Is not even the world capable of befriending those who look, believe, act and speak as they do? (Luke 6:27-32) Church, will you lay aside your favoritism, prejudices, phobia’s, judgments and hypocrisy for the greater Kingdom? I choose the one that is not of this world… and yes, I’m fully aware that it’s not at all “American”. A man cannot serve two masters.
In conclusion, may we hear and heed the words of James (chock full of wisdom that American Christianity could glean from).
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:1-13
This series will conclude on Thursday with Part 4, a variance of afterthoughts summarizing this topic.
2 comments:
I've shared this series with several others and I find the timing quite interesting as the news story has leaked about American troops boastfully posing with dead Afghan civilians (that they killed). Is this what we're to be proud of as a patriotic "Christian" nation? I think not. I won't associate myself with their hypocrisy. Kudos for exposing this disgusting mindset.
Dylan: I too saw the story. I find it interesting where the military is always quoted in these kind of things as "we tried to keep this story under wraps". Makes you wonder how much of this kind of thing never makes it public. They excuse it all away as "only a few civilians were killed" as if they were no big deal. I say what if that only one civilian casualty was your wife, your son, your mother? May the people of the world forgive us for our senseless actions.
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