When Christians Are No Longer Christ Like
By Corey Bu-Shea
I will be the first to admit that I am hard on Christians. My late grandmother, and my late pastor set the gold standard. They lived above reproach. followed the Bible succinctly, and were shining examples of Christ’ love. But some of the rest of you, well, I think you want to be Christians by title, when you are judging others, or to use that as a scapegoat for doing whatever you want to do in the name of Christ, but you are not like the man that I read about in the Bible.
I am reminded of the woman who was caught in adultery. During Jesus’ time, it was a common practice that if you were caught in adultery, you were to be publicly stoned. Now the scribes and Pharisees were like modern day Christians, always minding other’s business, always appearing Christian, but not doing the work, so they pressed Jesus on the issue. Now in this particular story, only the woman was brought (Yes, they were slut shaming and oppressing women even during Jesus’ time). Jesus stooped on the ground and wrote. Those mofos were like pesky mosquitoes, so they kept pressing him until he stated, “He that is among you, without sin, let him caste the first stone.” Jesus continued writing on the ground. When he looked up again, only he and the woman were left. He asked, “Woman where are thine accusers?” She said, “Lord, I have none.” He said, “Go ye in peace, and sin no more.”…Remember that story Christians? Or are you deaf, mute, and blind from all of that Bible thumping? All throughout the New Testament, are stories of Jesus’ unconditional love, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, and taking care of the poor.
But today, I read about Liberty University’s president, Jerry Falwell Jr., instructing his students, to arm themselves, so they can take care of Muslims, and told him they needed what he had in his back pocket.” I look at the weeks of inflammatory social media posts about not wanting Syrian refugees because they might be terrorists, and mostly from my friends who are constantly quoting scriptures. Who turned their FB pictures to Paris’ flag when the country was attacked, but are silent when any genocide occurs in countries highly populated by brown and black people. Who will go on and on about lost or hurt animals, and are still mad at Michael Vick all of these years later, but are visibly silent when a black mother loses her child and even send money to their killers. Who will spew hate towards gay people all day long, while their husbands sneak to parks and adult bookstores with men young enough to be their sons.
I didn’t know God had favorite people, or at least not the one who I read about in the Bible. I didn’t know God had selective outrage. You say you are a Christian, which to me implies being like Christ, but there isn’t any resemblance between most of you, who wear that title, and the man that I read about in the Bible.
And when you are called on the carpet for your hypocrisy, you have more excuses than a prostitute trying to explain to her pimp while her daily stash is short.
Do better people! There are people who are looking at you, and learning about Christ through you…are you the reflection that you want people to see of him?
