Hey Church? Your rhetoric matters.
Lately my heart has been breaking for people of faith.
Help me understand how a person, an imperfect being, can look at another person and say "Love God and love your neighbor...no, not like that." When did it become "Christian" for us to tell another human, believer or non, what is in their heart and mind? I have come to the conclusion, based on my understanding of Jesus and His message, that every single person is worthy of love and grace.
I have so many thoughts about this subject, yet so few words to put down. Please bear with me as I ask some questions and voice some opinions.
Would you like to know why I left the church for three years during and after college? I began to discover who I truly am, who I believe God intends me to become, and I didn't measure up.
No, not on the scale of faith. On the scale of American evangelical Christianity. Whether it was as simple as the choices of podcasts and movies that bring me the most joy and inspire to me to make better art, or as complicated as questions about gender roles and sexuality, I quickly realized just how unwelcome a difference of opinion might be...or definitely was. I constantly sensed through social media that there were people definitely praying for my soul. Which, I might remind you, is pretty dang secure in the love of Jesus. Heaven forbid I decide to vote Independent or (horrors) Democrat. Not to mention express my social views between election years.
The art of rhetoric is the art of speaking and writing effectively, in Merriam Webster's terms. But deeper than that, as I learned during my three main rhetoric courses as a Writing & Rhetoric major, the art of rhetoric covers every aspect of life. The tone we speak with, the clothes we wear, the way we carry ourselves when we walk...all of it is rhetoric that forms the blueprint of who we are as people.
Like rhetoric, faith is supposed to shape our personal blueprints. How do we approach discussions with people we disagree with on topics of religion or morality? Are we willing to hear other perspectives and validate people's life experiences? Are we going out of our way to serve others, to donate our time and money and talents to hurting and broken lives? Is sexual orientation or gender identity being approached with conclusions immediately drawn, quietly (or boldly) assuming someone's salvation or faith walk based on how they identify? Or are we remembering that each person's salvation and faith is between them and Christ?
Hey Church? Your rhetoric matters. I walked away at age 19 because I saw people I cared deeply for being cast aside when their views and life choices no longer fit the box. Somewhere there was a disconnect between reciting "love your neighbor as yourself" and actually living it to the fullest.
What brought me back at age 23 was the realization that if I didn't get my butt back to a community of people who love Jesus, I would be walking in solitude my whole life. I've talked about ReNew and how passionate people there are to serve and welcome everyone. If I didn't find a church like that, I would still be in that desert place.
Let me be clear: I never abandoned my faith in this process. I simply lost my trust in the community that was supposed to support me in my journey. But if I had abandoned my faith? That would be the first and primary thing that parts of the Church would be concerned about. Not my mental health, not whether I was able to navigate daily life safely or with some semblance of happiness. What the heck, Church? That's pretty messed up.
It's possible to love Jesus and love all people. It's possible with Jesus to love all people.
Hey Church? Stop drawing lines in the sand and start reaching out a hand.
Hey Church? Your rhetoric matters.
Help me understand how a person, an imperfect being, can look at another person and say "Love God and love your neighbor...no, not like that." When did it become "Christian" for us to tell another human, believer or non, what is in their heart and mind? I have come to the conclusion, based on my understanding of Jesus and His message, that every single person is worthy of love and grace.
I have so many thoughts about this subject, yet so few words to put down. Please bear with me as I ask some questions and voice some opinions.
Would you like to know why I left the church for three years during and after college? I began to discover who I truly am, who I believe God intends me to become, and I didn't measure up.
No, not on the scale of faith. On the scale of American evangelical Christianity. Whether it was as simple as the choices of podcasts and movies that bring me the most joy and inspire to me to make better art, or as complicated as questions about gender roles and sexuality, I quickly realized just how unwelcome a difference of opinion might be...or definitely was. I constantly sensed through social media that there were people definitely praying for my soul. Which, I might remind you, is pretty dang secure in the love of Jesus. Heaven forbid I decide to vote Independent or (horrors) Democrat. Not to mention express my social views between election years.
The art of rhetoric is the art of speaking and writing effectively, in Merriam Webster's terms. But deeper than that, as I learned during my three main rhetoric courses as a Writing & Rhetoric major, the art of rhetoric covers every aspect of life. The tone we speak with, the clothes we wear, the way we carry ourselves when we walk...all of it is rhetoric that forms the blueprint of who we are as people.
Like rhetoric, faith is supposed to shape our personal blueprints. How do we approach discussions with people we disagree with on topics of religion or morality? Are we willing to hear other perspectives and validate people's life experiences? Are we going out of our way to serve others, to donate our time and money and talents to hurting and broken lives? Is sexual orientation or gender identity being approached with conclusions immediately drawn, quietly (or boldly) assuming someone's salvation or faith walk based on how they identify? Or are we remembering that each person's salvation and faith is between them and Christ?
Hey Church? Your rhetoric matters. I walked away at age 19 because I saw people I cared deeply for being cast aside when their views and life choices no longer fit the box. Somewhere there was a disconnect between reciting "love your neighbor as yourself" and actually living it to the fullest.
What brought me back at age 23 was the realization that if I didn't get my butt back to a community of people who love Jesus, I would be walking in solitude my whole life. I've talked about ReNew and how passionate people there are to serve and welcome everyone. If I didn't find a church like that, I would still be in that desert place.
Let me be clear: I never abandoned my faith in this process. I simply lost my trust in the community that was supposed to support me in my journey. But if I had abandoned my faith? That would be the first and primary thing that parts of the Church would be concerned about. Not my mental health, not whether I was able to navigate daily life safely or with some semblance of happiness. What the heck, Church? That's pretty messed up.
It's possible to love Jesus and love all people. It's possible with Jesus to love all people.
Hey Church? Stop drawing lines in the sand and start reaching out a hand.
Hey Church? Your rhetoric matters.
Justine,
ReplyDeleteThank-you for this reminder to Love like Jesus. So beautifully said.