Relationship Matters

We condemn them for their wickedness.

We call out their sin without knowing their names. 

Disgusting is who they are, evil is what they’ve done. 

We write them off before ever even getting to know them and their story. 

“They need Jesus,” we say disappointingly, angrily shaking our heads, expecting them to just instantly come to Christ and admit their sinful ways.

But who is Jesus?

Jesus is love. He is patient. He is kind. He is gentle. He is just. He is not shaken. He is forgiving. He is merciful. He is gracious. He is compassionate.  

And yet… I wonder — If I as someone who claims to be a Christian and follower of Jesus, a witness to His name, a sharer of his redemptive love, mercy, and forgiveness, a born-again believer who has the call to live a life in which I reflect this very Jesus, if I can only sit behind my screen, angrily rebuking others for their sin, only to wake up and sit in a pew of other believers agreeing about the despicable ways of the world, but not ever engage the lost, how do they “get” Jesus? How do they come to know Him?

I’m not saying to sit idly by, I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t be upset about the things of this world, I’m not saying you have to be silent, but I do think as Christians, we sometimes forget the bigger picture.

Sometimes we forget people who do not believe in Christ, will not act in a way that is Christ-honoring. 

They don’t live according to the beliefs we do.

They do not hold to the same expectations we do.

They don’t understand the offense, because they do not have the conviction.

This is not new. This should not be some kind of big surprise.

Does that give others the right to mock or belittle your faith? No. But it doesn’t give you the right to mock or belittle them either.

I keep seeing the picture resurfacing of the scene that has left so many offended this weekend. To be frank, I just wish I could sit down with those individuals and talk to them, not about Jesus, but just about who they are — what do they enjoy doing, what’s their favorite food, what makes them happy, how was life growing up, who’s their best friend, do they like dogs, was this a fun experience for them, if so, why?

There are those of you who are thinking, “How could you not tell them about Jesus as the very first thing!? How could you even sit in the same room as them?” 

The thing is, for every person I’ve ever loved, I didn’t immediately meet and say “You’re living life wrong,” or “You need Jesus!” 

Instead, I got to know them for who they already were — I learned what made them smile, what made them sad, what their hopes and dreams were in life, and how they came to be the person they currently are. 

If you have no relationship with a person, how do you expect them to have a relationship with Jesus?

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t just wake up one day and a random person said “Hey you’re living life all wrong!” and happily said, “Yeah you’re right, I want to know more about Jesus now!” 

I had people who took time out of their day, their life, to invest in me and get to know me. And as they got to know me, I got to know them.

They learned what I loved, and in turn, I learned what they loved, and more importantly, I learned who they loved — it wasn’t instant. It wasn’t always something I desired. But I thank God those people didn’t write me off for my sinful ways or refuse to speak to me because of an action I took or the way I looked. 

I don’t need to break down what the Olympic opening was representing — We’ve all seen the articles, we’ve all read through social media posts. I’m very aware of the Greek reenactment they were going for, and personally, I think if “The Feast of the gods” featuring Dionysus as well as others, was what they were aiming for, then they hit that nail on the head.

However, before I have my friends who are on the opposite end of this chime in and say “Well it wasn’t even the Last Supper they were depicting” — I think it would be naive of anyone to fully claim and believe that. They were public in saying they depicted pieces of art, and while I do easily see and fully believe Jolly’s intent and delivery were clearly a nod to France/Greek history/Dionysus, to say there was no resemblance to one of the most famous paintings out there would be a reach as well. After all, it wasn’t just a few people here and there that took notice of the resemblance, we’re talking much larger; regardless of whether it was intentional or not, there was a nod to “The Last Supper.”

In that same breath, I’ve seen a lot of people complain that Christians are pulling a “woe is me,” and while I do think at times American Christians can give off that vibe, it is also not fair to accuse a group of people of being “whiney, dumb, crybabies, always complaining” etc., simply because they stick up for their faith. While some view it as simply a piece of art, for Christians, the literal Last Supper is a core ritual within the religion, so for someone or a group of people to display something that seems mocking to that, is offensive.

Again, we aren’t just talking about American Christians in this specific case, so it is unfair to claim that Christians should not be offended. Christians, as well as any other group of people, have the right to feel offended; you may just not agree with their actions from being offended.

We also know as believers, we’re going to be hated at times. But being hated doesn’t give us the right to react back in hate. Instead, it should be the fuel to respond in love and show mercy — and that means doing more than just posting scripture to your social media, it means more than just reading your Bible and attending church 1-2x a week, it’s more than just interacting ONLY with your community of believers; All good and helpful ways to prepare for living in the world, not of the world, but again so much more than just those aspects.

Be upset when something or someone you love is mocked, whether intentionally or not, don’t be afraid to have a civil and respectful conversation with the other person or people. Ask questions. Find out if it was meant a certain way or not. Context matters.

That said, you have to get out of your comfort zone and actually engage with and gently talk to the lost, invite them into your life in a way where you can still hold boundaries and stand firm in your faith, but also actively live out the Jesus you say they so desperately need. 

As Christians, we have a responsibility to know when to be silent and when to speak up.

In cases such as this past weekend, I think both are required.

When we do speak, I think we need to be careful of what we are saying, how we are saying it, and even where or to who we are saying it, too. If the Holy Spirit is not guiding our words and we are purely speaking out of anger rashly, without pausing to choose the words that come out of our mouths, (or from behind our screens) what good will we do?

And if you feel as if I’m the naive one or maybe that I’m not reacting strongly enough to the happenings of recent events, I’d like to ask you (my brothers and sisters in Christ), when was the last time you spoke to a lost person?

What did that conversation look like?

When was the last time you invited a lost person to dinner?

When was the last time you offered to do something kind for a lost person — grab a coffee, watch their children, take them a meal, send them a text, check in on them?

When was the last time you invited a lost person to church?

And if they said no, or rejected your help, did you ever reach back out, or was that the extent of your “sharing Jesus” with the lost?

The world is broken. I think everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike can agree with that.

It hurts when something or someone we love is mocked or ridiculed, made to seem less than. 

But brokenness doesn’t fix brokenness.

Hurt people, hurt people.

We shout it from the rooftops that this world needs Jesus, but how many of us are willing to sacrifice our own time, and our own comfort, and set aside our own desires to meet the lost where they are – not force them to come to where we are, “safe” and comfortable within our four church walls. How many of us who claim to want to share Jesus with others, are willing to get to know others with different cultures, beliefs, and desires, before we condemn them for their sinful ways?

I agree, I do think the people in this world need Jesus. But, if we’re called to be the hands and feet of Jesus this side of heaven, how will people ever meet Jesus, if we are not willing to talk to them, to get to know them, to see and meet them right where they are? How will they know the love of Jesus, if all we’re doing is telling them how wrong and sinful they are?

So go be frustrated, upset, hurt, confused, sad by the broken ways of the world, by the events and actions that make a mockery of the Jesus you love – but don’t let those feelings lead to you being hateful, hurtful, chaotic, rude, or selfish, unintentionally pushing the lost further and further into the dark.

Go be light, go be love, and go be the hands and feet of Jesus.