Monday, January 30, 2017

Alive in Christ Jesus

The past week has been a crazy week in the world not just in our country. For some that is a welcome event and for others I feel, it is quite suppressing. In this blog I want to simply discuss what the Lord calls us all to and what we, as Christians, should be focussing on.
Just this past week I posted something on facebook about it not being Christian to block our borders from others who might have different beliefs. I did not write the piece nor did I post it as an original post; it was something a friend of mine posted and I thought it made a lot of since. The piece was quoting the Pope and how he felt that people were not Christian if they built walls to keep others out of America. Another friend from my facebook page came back in response to that article by saying that the Pope is not Christian:)! What?
This is the real problem; people want what they want and they can be blinded by what they want to the point that they can say or do anything and call it "alternate facts" I cannot imagine anyone claiming that the Pope is not Christian. We should first of all never use falsehoods as tools to fight back against the things we are passionate about. Does it really make sense to claim that the Pope is not Christian? Not really but see he first claimed that they were not Christian.
This fight is one that really has not victor. The Popes claims should make people think about their actions and I think it did, but what is the response to finding out that we are not acting like Christians? To claim that they are not Christians. These attempts at arguing without facts are much like a child throwing a fit. They are often a reaction to not getting what you want. For those in our country who want to be called Christian and yet treat people with a style much unlike Christians(you are a Christian). Do you feel better now? You should not. The Pope or anyone else is right to call you out because being a Christian means that you respond in a Christian way. You don't get to define what a Christian is; it defines who you are. So if you are not acting like a Christian you have defined yourself. The words from the Pope were offensive to those who want to build walls on our borders which come directly out of fear. Fear that we are not safe. John says, 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.(John 14:27) Being Christian means that we live by these words and not as the world. Yet the world has set the stage for our preset time. Fear has brought us to this present mistrusting decision to block our borders.
Many people will be offended by my words today, and that is fine, but please understand that when our hearts our disturbed by these things we must, as Christians, decide which side we will stand on. "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."(Joshua 24:15)