Why aren't Christian's nice?

So I’m working away, digging a hole, grouting the block-work, sweeping the floors, basically doing anything but carpenter’s work. I’m now an apprentice carpenter, but the job duties remain the same. But I will NOT become one of those people who hate their job! I really enjoy it....really....bitter is fun :) But really, I do lik e it. Anyways, I’m working away. Lets just leave it at that. The task doesn’t matter, but the fact that I am working is important. And this is not specific to a certain conversation. I’ve had it many times, and the flow has been the same every time. Being in construction, I’m used to many many things. Give me any curse-word and I can tell you several synonym’s, all the proper and im-proper uses, and how to get the best use out of it. You need a funny / dirty joke? I can hook you up. So when the topic of religion comes up, it’s always fun. And people generally assume that I’m religious. Matt doesn’t curse? Matt doesn’t talk about sex? Does he go to church? It’s usually “out” within a few hours of the first day on the job-site. I show up, and if I’m the only one there, it can go a bit longer, but should someone from my company be there, I’m “outted” before lunch. And often the conversations approach. Are you a Christian? Do you go to church? Are you married? Do you swear / drink / smoke / get high ? And often they’ve got stories about other Christians that they’ve worked with. It happened that the other day, a plumber commented that “...I can’t stand born-againers...” to which I commented “I’m a born-again.” and he said “Really?” How am I different that they find that unbelievable? I drop the occasional curse...mild and PG-13 of course (and we all know that Christian’s don’t swear)...a laugh at a joke comes out every now and again....and I don’t hand out Bible-tracts. So inevitiablly it comes out that on the whole, in their opinion, the Christians they’ve met aren’t nice....they’re not nice. That struck me as sad. Christians? Not Nice? Whole? Why do people have this premonition that Christian’s aren’t nice? It occurs to me that Christians should be the nicest people? We should be the epitome (that’s 25 points in Scrabble) of nice-ness. But the Christians that many of my fellow construction workers seem to live up to the bumper sticker....”Jesus love you....everyone else thinks you’re an asshole.”
But why are we assholes? Why aren’t the Christians the ones that everyone raves about? Why aren’t we the ones people want to be like? Yet we end up the brunt of the jokes, the ones to avoid, the Bible-thumpers, anti-social, hypocritical, all in the name of being like Christ. There is something to be said about the nature of man, and being against Christ by nature, but a whole other side of it is that we are indeed sometimes assholes...that’s three now isn’t it? Have I renounced my faith yet? All to quickly, we put up our Christian shield everytime we meet someone new. We dont’ want them to taint us. We spend more time protecting ourselves than we do being real. We’re not real, and people see right through that. We segregate ourselves. The religious one is always the one who’s off in the corner, sitting on his own, reading his Bible. Believe me, I’ve been that person....I’ve been on the pulpit, looking down on them. I’ve done that, been a hypocrite...watching my language at work, but not at home. Feeling safer here, that somehow because no one hears it that it’s okay. What a load of crap! I don’t know when it hit me, but somewhere it occurred to me to stop worrying about stuff like that, and start worrying about stuff like why are Christians standing outside abortion clinics waving posters of aborted babies, and telling women coming out that they’re going to Hell? Why aren’t we surrounding them with the love that the lack of which has driven them there in the first place? There are people dying to have children but can’t. How many times have Pastors prayed for women who are barren? Why aren’t they putting two and two together, get to know these girls who can’t bear the responsibilty of parenting and solve two problems? I realise that it’s easier to write than to put in to practice, but do you see what I mean? Why do we point the finger at others? Why do we tell gays and lesbians that they’re going to hell instead of simply getting to know them? Tell me this, where in the Bible does it say that practicing homosexuality is worse in the eyes of God than gossiping about the Pastor’s son? Where? I think it’s in Hezekiah somewhere...if not there, check out Hesitations. Does my point get somewhere? Why aren’t we living the life Christ would have us live? Where did it go wrong? I’m not perfect either. Each day is different. Sometimes I let the guys down, sometimes I let Christ down. It sucks. I don’t know the answer to any of these questions. How do we convey Christ’s love without watering it down? How do we live authentic Christian lives and, forgive the wording, have fun at the same time? I don’t know. But I do know that in some small way, I agree with the plumber....sometimes, I just hate “born-againers.”

Wooopsie!

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Hymn's, Bleach, And A Crashed Car

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fridays, Saturday('s alright *)

The days go by. Days become weeks, and weeks become months. Is this how the passing through this life is supposed to go? Each passing day, adding up to seven, making one weak? No that's not a spelling error. Sometimes we do feel weak don't we? We're supposed to grow stronger, yet we don't. We look to God to get us out of whatever sin / rutt / hole / relationship / job / home / city / country / life that we may be in. We get out occasionally, but then we fall back in. And then we get out...and then back in. Life feels like a dirty t-shirt sometimes. Each time it gets dirty, we take it to the Washer/Dryer and it's like new again. A little less white, but it's there again. Ready to wear, show off...and inevitably get dirty again. Church is like that isn't it? We get dirty Monday, or maybe not until Thursday, perhaps even up until Saturday night, and then we come to Church, sit for the 45 min spin cylcle, or perhaps we need to bleach the stain by raising our hand, talking to the Pastor, or listening oh so intently to the chorus with our pious eyes closed. And then, we walk out the door, and head right back to the muddy field. Getting our newly cleaned shirt dirty again. Some of our shirts are hand-washed, and have to be handled in a slighty different manner. The really special attire is dry-clean only, and if misshandled, won't fit us once it's done.

Is that all God is to us? The laundermat? We come in once a week, bring our detergent, or maybe get it there, read a magazine / bulliten (proper spelling?), or my favourite, the hymnal (...really), do the crossword/fill in the notes, and then once it's done, our Bible/detergent goes back on the shelf, and our shirt/life goes back out there and gets stained again. Where does it go wrong? When do we make the error? The simple answer seems to be stay away from the mud, and the things that will make it dirty. But is that the only answer? I dont' think so, but I also know that I don't have the answer. I'm still looking. But one thing I do know, and this I hold to....it does all come out in the wash....you just need to be washed the right way.




* - if you get that joke, you're cool.