Simply put, some Christians are not worthy of the name shaming they undergo. Although, some are.
Shocker right? Okay, but let me explain.
Some Christians just really stink at being Christians! There I said it. Have you ever walked into a group of students clustered together and the second you enter they stop and stare at you? Have you ever been offered a spot at their exclusive table and before you can even take a bite of the food in front of you they start asking all of these strange questions that give you the hunch that there is something more to them? More than likely my friend we have found ourselves in the same ship, the U.S.S. Judged.
Tell them that you are living with your significant other. Tell them that you are struggling with the temptation of sex or drugs or same-sex attractions and watch their reactions. Slowly their facial expressions escalate from encouraging to dark and judgemental. Maybe they won't even let you speak. One time I was grabbing what was supposed to be a quick lunch with a friend back during Freshman year and this guy sat down and literally yelled at us that we were bound to go to Hell because we were unsure of our faith. At the time I knew full well I was an Atheist but I knew I didn't have the time to defend my then take on religion. For about an hour I inspected the remains of my potato salad and pathetic turkey on rye. Needless to say, my appetite was depleted.
Don't get me wrong, I have met some incredible people who so happen to believe in God. They are some of the most real, messy, and genuine friends I have. The amazing thing about this group of people though is how unperfect their lives have been and are.
They didn't grow up with mommy and daddy loving each other and getting along. They didn't grow up in a warm and inviting household with a kitchen full of food or even find God when they were seven. Their testimonies can elicit tears from the toughest of hearts and change the strongest of minds. It did mine.
They say you find your true friends when you are in your darkest of times and man I never experienced a phrase to be so painstakingly true. In the last two years of my walk with the Lord, I have had everything and the kitchen sink thrown my way and only a fraction of the Christian friends I once had still stand by me now. And that is OKAY. I wouldn't trade these people for the world and I am without a doubt certain that those who are in your life are not there by mistake. These people have knocked down my door at 12 AM, stroked my hair as a cried, and drove four hours out of their way when I needed them most.
Some, I pass every once in a while on campus and it's like I never knew them. In short, a majority of Christians do not like anything outside of their circle of comfortability. Some are just plain rotten at stepping out of their own shoes and putting on another's.
Since May I have been living with my significant other for a slew of reasons that do not need justification but the most prominent of them is that rent is too high to do it yourself and in my now emotional state and crying binges I don't dare put that on a stranger who doesn't know my background of loss and depression. Sorry, no glittery or happy reasons, just real life guys. Instead of asking for my one sentence broad explanation of why my boyfriend and I call each other roomies I was greeted with snarky glares and negatively charged, "Oh...s" Girl. Got an issue use a tissue.
Okay so I'm going to do to you guys the one thing I can't stand, but I promise if you bear with me I have a point. In Luke 19:2 and 5-10 Jesus hangs with a tax collector that went by the name of Zacchaues (backstory, back then in the time of JC tax collectors were not cool people, they lined their own pockets with raised rates of the taxes and did about anything to get their money out of people, completely written off by society as one of "them"). In the end Jesus' visit with the guy, Zacchaues rights his wrongs in the eyes of God, tells Jesus of his plans to make right with those he has wrongly accused and is showered with mercy and grace by way of salvation. Cool right?
In John 8:3-11 Jesus saved a prostitute from being stoned to death. When asked by the scribes and Pharisees whether or not she should be stoned JC simply said instructed them that whoever had no sin against them could throw the first stone her way. But because literally every single person is filled with sin, no one could, and should ever throw the proverbial stone.
I am not bashing Christianity. I love God more than I love and have loved anything on this earth and would do anything to glorify His name on high but that does not mean that I do not sin on the daily. I just happen to think that other Christians need to diffuse from their strictly other Christian bubbles and reach out to the larger population. Everyone is worthy of love, even if they don't know it yet. Even if they are left handed and they walk on their tip toes and dye their hair differenct colors every week. This notion that Christ loves only the perfect and unblemished is making God weep day in and day out because last time I checked if JC hung out with the shunned crowd and we are considered His children (who by nature are messy and wild in nature) then we are beautiful the way we are! As Christians, we need to stop shoving the Bible down the throats of others and we need to place it on the table next to us tenderly and with love and hold their worn hands in ours and ask them to tell us their story.
Tell me your story. I promise I will listen.
