A few months ago I was driving down M-59 and I saw a man on the corner of the road wearing a white robe and holding up a sign that read, "Everything is being recorded. All sinners are going to Hell!" (and some bible verse written at the bottom) Now usually when I see something like that I just pass by, but for some reason, this day I had to stop. I pulled into the nearest parking lot, got out of my car and started walking towards the man in the robe. I had no idea what I was going to say to him when I got there or what he would say to me. When I got next to him I said something like "Hey, how ya doing?" (I believe in the power of small talk) He said nothing. So I spoke a little louder (maybe he couldn't hear me over the noise of the cars going by) "HEY! HOW'S IT GOING?!" Still nothing. He obviously thought that if he ignored me long enough I would just go away. "Are you from a local church?" I asked. "Did they tell you to do this?" "Why do you think this is an effective way to tell others about the love of God?" Question after question and still nothing (Once in a while he would give me a really annoyed look as if to say "Stop bothering me. Go find your own corner") Once in a while a car would role down its window and the person would stick his head out and yell some expletive as he zoomed on by. After saying a few more things, I decided to call it a day and head home. I told him that I would pray for him; hoping that one day he would realize that there are better ways of leading people into the loving arms of God. I never got a word out of the man. It's really hard to have a decent conversation with someone when you're the only one talking.
On my way home I start wondering why I stopped. Why did I feel so personally affected by his actions? After all, what he does with his free time is his business, not mine. But I soon realized it was because I knew how many people were driving by and getting a distorted view of God. They weren’t seeing a self-sacrificial, compassionate God, but an unsympathetic God, full of wrath and judgment.The man in the robe was not only making himself look bad, but in the process he was making God look bad. He was misrepresenting the very One that loved us enough to die for us.
Many of us are familiar with the Commandment "Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain". And many of us have spent our lives trying to steer clear from saying certain expletives -not wanting to somehow offend God. But is God's commandment just another way of saying "do not curse"? Or is it deeper than that? Is it something more powerful? In biblical times you're name was everything! Your name represented who you were. It represented you to the world. Your name was the essence of your character. And character was considered everything. To ruin someone’s good name was to ruin his very character. The very worst thing you could do was to speak wrongly or falsely of someone, thereby smashing their reputation in the eyes of others. This is why in Jesus' day rabbi's would consider gossip closer to that of murder than theft. Why? Because a robber can always give back what he has stolen, but a murderer, just like a gossiper can never replace what was taken away; someone's reputation. And so to take God's name in vain, means to show the world a false representation of who God is. Thereby smashing his character in the eyes of other people. I believe this is why so many people, who may have been seeking God at one time have now rejected Him. They have been shown a God that has been misrepresented. They have been shown a picture of God (through someone’s words or deeds) that is not in line with whom He is. You see, if our picture of God looks like anything other than the radical, revolutionary life of Jesus that serves, cares and bleeds for others no matter who they are, than it is a misrepresentation of God to the world - and ultimately taking His name in vain.
So hears my question: How are some of the ways that we misrepresent God? (big or small) And what are some things that we can do that rightfully represent God in a world that is longing to know who he is? Or skip the question and say anything. Let's just keep the conversation going.
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10 comments:
Scott -
Great Blog - Geoff told me to check it out. Good question - I couldn't help think of a conversation I just had with a good friend I hadn't seen in a while. She is a Christian and during our conversation she was talking about how she would rather hang out with her friends who are not Christians because they are more honest and open. And I started thinking about that, why do we as Christians put on that mask - that we have everything together. I am a screw up - but God loves me in spite of that. Why do we feel we need to represent to the world our perfection instead of our honesty.
Good one Scott - I think people that see themselves as Christian can misrepresent God in many ways and not even know it. Here are 2 that I can think of off the top of my head.
#1 – There are many people here at my work that I just found out were Christians, but the sad thing is I would have never known them to be Christians without them telling me. Now everyone that’s been to Sunday School knows that the best way to show your faith is by your actions, but here I am working with people that blend into society, almost like they are scared of telling anybody what they believe in for fear that people will stone them or something. What I am truly sorry about is that they may not be able to tell if I’m a Christian without me telling them.
#2 – Heather & I have been dealing with some friends that are stressed out by life (to keep it simple). In life groups people are telling them how to deal with these problems, and how experience has helped them in the past. The misrepresentation of God I see here is that maybe a couple weeks later those friends will still have the same problems, then even a couple months later. So it’s like they don’t trust God to be able to handle their problems. It seems they will continue to ask for help until they get the answers they want.
Now don’t read into this like I’m complaining about our friends by all means I’m not, I love them I just want to see them happy and I not sure what to do without continuing to tell them to go to God over and over again.
Sorry I got carried away a little :-)
This is why I stick to not be serious all the time, it's a lot shorter.
Brendan Manning said "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." (I actually know this quote from an old DC Talk song, but I can't remember which one) One of the biggest things pounded into my head as a public high school Christian, was how big of a witness my ACTIONS were. I know I failed so many times in those years at that school. I think it's such a truth, though. As soon as someone learns of our faith, they watch us so much more intently, usually looking for a reason to justify their unbelief. Most times in a conversation with a non-believer, if you're really digging deep with them they have a strong memory tied to someone who "professed Jesus with their lips...and denied them with their lifestyle". It's a great responsibility, but if we're living what we're professing, it comes with such a great reward!
i love what tonya said. through my experience with alcoholism, i hear a lot about people denying God rather than exploring Him. I have noticed many former catholics quiver when i mention His name. God seems to be okay to say, but the word Jesus literally makes people shiver. it is some sort of misrepresentation of His word. those barriers are hard to break. Thos who have had wrong impression of God are much harder to relate to than those who have had mpression of God whatsoever. How do we break down those barriers?
Heather,
Great comment about putting on masks. Don't be surprised if that subject comes up on this site in the very near future.
Christy,
Your comment reminded me of a window salesman that was so rude and arrogant to Denise and I that I actually had to kick him out of our house. (In love of course)
Because of that experience, Denise and I may never buy a product from that company again - no matter how good the product may be.
I don't think any of us realize the impact our actions and words have on the people around us.
Tonya, thanks for the post. As I was reading your Brendan Manning quote I was thinking of the DC talk song as well. I even went looking for the CD trying to see what song it was on. No luck. It's killing me.
I sometimes wonder how much damage we have done by, as you say, "professing Jesus with our lips but denying him by our lifestyle."
"What if I Stumble", (Jesus Freak CD) is the name of the song, Chris and I couldn't stop digging until we figured it out, and now we're back up to date on all of our old DC Talk songs!
What if I stumble, what if I fall, what if I lose my step and I make fools of us all...
It's all coming back to me now!
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