2/22/10

You say you want a revolution?

This blog, for a change, is not about me.

Before I get into this, I want to say that this blog is written passionately. And honestly. And my prayer is that those who read it will not read it thinking I think I've got this on lock (I so, so don't), or that it's written from a condemning, judging heart, because I promise you, it is the very opposite. This is written from a heart that is desperate for the people, for the truth, and for unity.

It is also written somewhat fearful of negative backlash. It stems from years of feeling this way and being silent. It also comes from watching loved ones get hurt, burned, or turned off to Christianity all together. And it is written because my best friend said one of the most encouraging things anyone's ever said to me "Revolution is not a dinner party, not an essay, nor a painting, nor a piece of embroidery. it cannot be advanced softly, gradually, carefully, considerately, respectfully, polietly, plainly, or modestly. Just do it."

This is about us. Humans. People. And if we're going to get specific, Christians.

I looked, and I can't find it anywhere in the Bible where Jesus said "to each his own", or where he commanded his children to group off into organizations and talk negatively behind each others backs. I couldn't recall a verse where one denomination was declared greater then another, or anything of the sort. I could, however, find 1 Corinthians 1:10. "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."

That's pretty black and white if you ask me. Agree. Agree to love each other. Agree to put aside our affiliations and the religious differences we may have and focus on the thing that we do have in common. Jesus. Loving the lost and leading them to the truth we've found. Using our every word to praise the name of the Creator, not muttering under our breath about our differences.

This is huge people. It's become an epidemic on LSU's campus and no one is untouched. If you're not picking teams, then you're standing on the sidelines thinking "What about this mess is supposed to attract me to Christianity?" And if that's you, I am sorry. I am sorry that we, as Christians, have failed you, and that we, at times, pervert the love of Christ to a point that it is unrecognizable.

But if you're a part of this mess, how about we put down our weapons? How about we quit caring where people go, and start worrying about how their heart is? It really is so much more simple then we've made it out to be. Stop muttering and dividing, and start loving. If I was a gambling woman, I'd bet that you kind of love the way it feels.

So here it is. The hardest post I've ever written.
Thank God He's making me
Fearless.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Made me tear up, Blake. It's so true. Imagine what change we could make in the world if we stopped looking at the little things and just loved each other!

Love you and miss you!

-Elizabeth Randon

Anonymous said...

Twitter gives me insufficient room to reply to a post of this magnitude. But I've been turning these kind of thoughts over and over in my head for a month or so now. Not so much the "battle of denominations" side of it, but mainly the hypocrisy that is to be found in many Christians. It's a very discouraging and troubling trend, something that shouldn't be ignored, because it is directly affecting the growth of His kingdom.

Yes, we are all sinners. Believers and unbelievers alike. But the difference is that we have Jesus and we should all live transparently enough to let that Truth shine through.

Another somewhat related detractor that has been bothering me a lot lately is when outsiders to the Christian faith are exposed to "Christian" teachings that are laced with messages of hate rather than love. That is actually one of the big things that turned me off from Christianity for the longest time. I always knew God was love and infinite and everything He made was good. But I couldn't understand why so many Christians were so angry at homosexuals or doctors performing abortions or any of the other typical issues that extremists protest. It took me actually feeling God's love directly from Him and through a very solid group of Christian individuals (yourself included) for me to finally get it. And it shouldn't have to be that way. All outsiders and non-believers should be able to see us and go "Wow. I want what he has."

Good news is that our generation has a very full life in front of us and I truly believe that we can all come together and return Christianity back to it's original state; the word "Christ" is in there for a reason.

Rant over. But yes. This is a very important post filled with much truth and wisdom and heart and all that other good junk. And I wish more people out there could read it.

And this comment was actually longer but I decided to edit it down for your sake. I probably just need my own blog.

-Chris