Recently I came across a post where young Christian's were sharing their God-given talents through the form of hip-hop dance in a church. Personally, I thought it was beautiful, and I always find it inspiring to see young people serving in their churches. To my surprise, the amount of criticism these people received from those in generations above them absolutely disgusted me; and as the comments unraveled, I realized the issue went far deeper than hip-hop dancing.
You see, the thing about the church as a whole is, it's become more about being a museum for holy righteous people and less about being a hospital for the hurting, broken people. I don't think there's enough paper in the world for me to list off the individuals I know that have felt judged and have left a church because of the way they were treated. But there's this one verse in the Bible that I absolutely love, and I think a lot of legalistic Christians quickly forget about.
Matthew 7:1-3 says,
"Judge not, or you too will be judged. For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own?" (ESV)
The burning issue I have with religion and the church is that every individual seems to feel such a strong desire to judge me and my peers based on our actions; yet fails to remember that God doesn't need any help, especially yours, making judgments on people.
So when you're staring at the college student who parties a little too hard on a Saturday night who is making an effort to sit in a pew on a Sunday morning, judge not.
When that single, young girl walks into a church service with her baby bump showing and you feel the need to say something, judge not.
When that man who has committed adultery walks into church on a Sunday morning looking for nothing but God's unconditional grace and you feel the need to list off the Ten Commandments to him, judge not.
Or perhaps, when the pastor himself walks in front of the congregation and tells the church he struggles with pornography, judge not.
When the gay couple walks into a church service; they came to experiences Jesus' love, not your hate; judge not.
When the young people get the courage to get up on stage and glorify God through their dance, whatever style it may be; judge not.
When the millennial liberal shares that they, in fact, are pro-choice, support gay marriage, are all about legalizing marijuana, and firmly support ObamaCare; and you feel the need to shove your legalistic conservative views down their throat, judge not.
As hard as I try I can't seem to understand why the church has turned from welcoming to condescending. Nowadays the church has become this political playing field with a fight between the millennials and the older generation and I can only imagine how it breaks God's heart to see division in His church. God didn't call us to judge other's actions, their life choices, or the way they choose to worship Him. He simply calls us to spread His love, and give His unconditional grace to our friends around us.
For all the Christians that believe it is their job to judge other people for their actions and decisions, Jesus is clearly telling you to cut it out. Unless of course, you want him to bestow the same amount of judgment upon you whenever He calls you home.
