"Is there anyone who
Ever remembers changing there mind from
The paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
Ever breaking rank at all
For something someone yelled real loud one time?" ---John Mayer
I've always disliked protesting. I personally don't see what it accomplishes. Most of the time, at least with student protesting like that on the campus of my college, it's just a lot of yelling. Sure it gets your attention, but most of the time if you stop and talk to them they really don't even know what they're talking about. You ask them what their solutions are for the issue and they have none, no arguments. If you're going to argue something...at least HAVE an argument, a well thought out point about something and good suggestions on how to fix it so that maybe something will actually be done. Rather than yelling about the problem...come up with a way to solve it.
Lately however, its the "Christian Protestors" that get me. They stand there and yell at people walking by...things like "YOURE GOING TO HELL!!!" These people embarress me as a Christian. And if you say as much to them they just yell at you too b/c they think they're doing something good.
But when did Jesus ever ostracize people? I'm pretty sure he was in the business of loving people and people liked being around him, not ran the other way. Rich Mullins sang it best:
"The whores all seemed to love him and the drunks proposed a toast." -Rich Mullins
Jesus was in the world but not of it. He hung out in bars and loved people into the kingdom. Not many people being human can go into a bar and stand out like that, but the point is, sinners and otherwise...people were drawn to Jesus. Something about him just pulled you to that hope. Protesting my lifestyle would only offend me and make me want to be as far away from people like you as possible. Has anyone ever really stopped and said..."Oh wow...you're right, I really did not know I was living a life of sin until you just now pointed it out, please read the salvation prayer with me." I doubt it.
---Noelle
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1 comment:
One scary truth about Christ is that he preached judgement much more vocally than most of us. I for one cannot stand when people stand on campus in Raleigh and shout damnation at students, and I do not believe that it is right. However, I also think that I am guilty of trying to take judgement out of the gospel message when it is a central part of the story. Consider Christ's conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well when he makes a statement aimed at exposing the woman's sin ("Go and get your husband").
I guess what I'm saying is that there is some sort of medium between the screaming of street corner preachers and Joel Olstein (who doesn't really believe in judgement). And here we go on working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12)
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