Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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On hypocrisy in the church

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The Charge of hypocrisy

Charge of Hypocrisy

One common criticism of the church is that it is full of hypocrites, people who say one thing and do another. The problem with countering this criticism is that it is true. If we are honest, we will have to admit that none of us lives up to our own standard of behavior, let alone the standard set before us in Scripture. We all practice some level of hypocrisy in that there is a gap between what we know to be right behavior and how we actually live. I call this the belief gap.

The question is not whether there is a gap between belief and practice, the important question is whether members of the church are actively seeking God for the purpose of closing that gap.

The church is not alone

I feel the need to point out that the church does not have a monopoly on hypocrisy.  In every sphere of human activity a higher standard of behavior is held than is lived. The gap between stated belief and actual practice is no less a problem outside the church than in it. Hypocrisy seems to be a universal problem.

The point of this post is not to excuse hypocrisy in the church, it is right to condemn it. The point is that we should evaluate a system on how effective it is in narrowing the belief gap.

The response

One way of narrowing the gap is to reduce the standard. If we have lower expectations, if we reduce the standard to the lowest common denominator, then perhaps the belief gap will be closed.

In western society, we have lowered our standards for what is considered decent and respectable. A short stint at channel surfing in the evening will produce ample evidence of the lowering of standards. It may be accurate to say the belief gap has been narrowed by this method, but are we willing to say that individuals and society are better off with the lower standard?

The other way to go about closing the gap is to seek help from outside. This is the Christian way. We seek the help of God to be better tomorrow than we are today. As John Newton so nicely puts it

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”

Jude identifies Jesus as the one who is able to close the belief gap by growing us closer to the standard. Jude writes:

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24–25, NASB)

If we, as Christians, are right about who Jesus is and if we stand in relationship to him, we have the hope of one day standing in his presence as blameless. Then, and only then, will the belief gap be finally closed.

Amen!

A victim of friendly fire

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The rejection

Avoid Friendly FireIt has been said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. Not only have I been in situations where this has been true, sometimes the church caused the wounds in the first place. I have been the victim of friendly fire and have observed others who have been targeted by those who should have been their friends.

I have seen friendly fire incidents take place in situations where someone is ostracized because he doesn’t fit the mold of the church he has joined. The offense could be something as innocuous as being socially inappropriate (as the group sees it), being too needy, being too outspoken or having a bad reputation. I have seen genuine, God-fearing believers rejected for superficial and un-Biblical reasons.

The result

Jesus said that it would be better to jump off a bridge with a millstone around your neck than to cause someone to stumble in faith (a loose paraphrase of Matthew 18:6). Jesus takes this type of rejection very seriously and those who practice it will certainly be called to account.

If we are called to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), certainly we should be able to find in our hearts the ability to love those who merely annoy us, especially if they are Christians. We do not have the luxury of putting out our brothers or sisters just because we do not like something about the way they go about life.

To be rejected by fellow Christians hurts far worse than any rejection by a non-believer. We expect that our atheist neighbor might have a strong dislike for our faith. We understand that our non-believing coworkers will think us odd for going to Church. What we don’t expect is that Christians would ostracize other Christians. To the pain of rejection is added the pain of betrayal, for rejection by other believers is exactly that: betrayal.

I have experienced this type of betrayal and it is difficult to recover from it. The wounds are deep and all the more painful for being unnecessary. One of the lingering effects of this woundedness is a reluctance to be open and honest, even in a healthy, supportive situation.

The response

I encourage church leaders to conduct as many exit interviews as possible to find out why people have left your church. In some cases they left over preference issues (style of music, available programs, etc.), but sometimes people leave for more troubling reasons. If people leave because they do not feel welcomed or accepted, you have a serious problem.

Yes, there are some Eeyores out there that will never be pleased no matter where they go, but these are few. Do not allow yourself the luxury of thinking that everyone who feels left out or complains about things at your church is doing so because he has a critical spirit and will never be pleased.

Take the feedback seriously and learn from it. You may find that the reason that these people annoy you is because they highlight an area in your life which God wants to change.

Do not initiate a friendly fire incident in an attempt to avoid dealing with your own issues.

A lesson on the culture war from “War Horse”

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Stuck in trench warfare

In the movie War Horse, there is a scene where the horse is trapped in barbed wire between the opposing trenches. A young British soldier calls a truce and walks to the horse to cut him loose from the wire. A young German comes out to assist him. Each finds humanity in the other and the viewer gets the sense that neither of them is eager to resume the bloodshed and would prefer to go home.

War HorseAs I read the dialog regarding issues associated with the “culture war,” I cannot help thinking of that scene. We are like armies in our trenches and most of our respective arguments fall in futility on the ground between us. Those who support traditional marriage are labeled as “homophobic” or worse, regardless of whether they have expressed any hatred or fear of homosexuals. On the other side, homosexuals are accused of seeking the moral ruin of America, a charge that is neither accurate or fair.

Breaking out of the trench

I would remind followers of Jesus Christ that the one we follow told us that our defining characteristic is to be love. Jesus did not say we would be defined by our finely wrought theology. Nor did he indicate that we should be defined by our organizational prowess. It is love that is to distinguish us from the surrounding culture.

Yes, we can disagree with the culture around us, but we are to do it with love and grace. The lesson we should learn from the Moral Majority is that it is possible win the battle but loose the war. To get the upper hand in legislation does nothing to change the hearts of men and women. To win a battle in the legislature is of temporary help only.

We are called to make disciples. We do this by preaching the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Part of sharing the Gospel is being honest about what God says about our sinful nature, no matter how we choose to express our sin. We are all in need of what Jesus Christ offers. Our preaching will only be received if it is given with love and grace.

Our only hope is to get out of our trenches like the two young soldiers and begin to get to know about the other side. We will never bring reconciliation by lobbing accusations and arguments toward the other trench. If we are to win the war, it will have to be with many meetings in the disputed area between the trenches.

Only God can change hearts and for him to use us we need to reject the safety of the trench (or church pew) and make contact with our perceived antagonists. I am sure that we will be changed for the better in the process and we just might find a way to bring relief to those who are seeking it in the wrong places.

Let’s not overstate the case – Another cliche to avoid

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The Cliche

There is a phrase that has been said so many times over the years that it has become a cliche. That phrase can be seen in the picture to the right which shows a church marquee that says, “No God, no peace; know God, know peace.” This church is not the first to use this cliche, nor will they be the last.

It strikes me that this phrase is an overstatement at best and a falsehood at worst. My intention is not to call this church on the carpet but to examine what this phrase is saying and why I think in the end the phrase is not helpful.

The Overstatement

Church Cliche

I am in agreement that a relationship with God puts me in a better position to live at peace. To know the God of the universe and to know his plan for me should provide confidence that no matter what happens, my eternity is secure. My security is then based on my knowledge of who God is, not based on my own ability to change or grow.

Yet, we see that much of the experience of the saints over the years has been internal and external turmoil. Even a casual reading of the Psalms shows the Psalmist’s anguish at his own sin and the sin of others. I know men and women of God who live exemplary lives who are torn with family strife, financial stress and health issues. While they may experience joy in the midst of their trials, what they are experiencing would be difficult to describe as peace.

Jesus tells us “blessed are those who mourn.” It is right to be realistic about where we are; God has much work to do in us and in our world. The statement that a person will experience peace by entering into relationship with Jesus may not be immediately true. I believe that relationship puts us on the path to peace, but peace is not an immediate benefit.

The Fallacy

To the best of my knowledge I am in excellent health, yet I could have a cancer or some other medical condition that has not yet displayed symptoms. In other words I may be confident and at peace about my good health even though an unknown evil is working to bring my peace to an end. I may have a medical need about which I am unaware and I might be at peace in spite of my impending doom.

In the same way, non-believers who have never considered eternity and spiritual reality may be completely at peace in their physical comfort. To say that those who do not know God have no peace is not always true. There are those who don’t know God who are at peace with themselves and with others. They do not know any reason for discontent. Again I would point to the Psalms where the writer complains that those who do not know God are fat, dumb and happy while the saints are suffering.

The peace they experience without God is a transient one; it will not last. So it is our job to explain the temporary nature of that peace and make them aware of the large spiritual reality.

The Result

The church in the picture is trying to reach out to the community with this sign. I applaud them for this. Their motives give every appearance of being right in doing so. Yet to an increasing percentage of our society, this phrase will make no sense. It has become a cliche and perhaps should be abandoned.

What do you think? Is this phrase helpful in 2012 or has it become a cliche?

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