The Lunatic Fringe

Listening to the news this morning I heard, again, about a church group in the U.S. that pickets military funerals using them as an occasion to proclaim God's unhappiness with society's acceptance of homosexuality. They say that every death in combat is a sign of God's judgement on the U.S. Their right to do this is now before the Supreme Court in a test of "free speech" provisions in the U.S. Constitution.

This follows last month's international furore over a pastor of a small church to publicly burn copies of the Koran to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers. Christians in Muslim countries say that every time that this happens, they cop a backlash.

Both of these incidents, which I have to say are not unique, show just how much christians including pastors, often just don't get it about why we are in the world.

A pastor colleague of mine often jokes that life would be much simpler if God just raptured some people off the planet the minute they got saved.

The fact that God doesn't do this suggests that His agenda is very different to what many christians think it is. I suspect that part of the problem with this is the whole language of salvation and the focus on "making a decision". It suggests that the whole of eternity focuses one point in time in each of our lives. But our whole lives are a process of turning towards Jesus.

Let's assume that salvation is the goal. We are all on a ship headed for destruction. The Titanic is sinking and the aim is to get as many saved as possible. We know where the lifeboats are located. We know the ship is sinking.

In that scenario what is the right thing to do?

Do we go around the ship railing at people that they are doomed because the captain failed to see the iceberg? Do we insult people who are in the bar drinking and don't even know there's a problem?

No of course not! The main goal should be to show people the way to the lifeboats and try to convince them that they need to take action.

Jesus tells us to that we are to be light and salt in the world, that is making a positive difference in people's lives, showing them in actions and not just words what Jesus is like.

We are to point people to Jesus, speaking abut Him, loving people in His name. It's all about Him.

There is a time and place to speak of sin and false religion. Look at Jesus, except when He talked to religious leaders He always engaged people with love and respect. We love to quote John 3:16, but often neglect John 3:17 "God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world through Him."

Let's tell the world about Jesus and leave the convicting of sin up to the Holy Spirit.