Messy People Only

Sometimes Christians can be embarrassing. Some of the most foolish and immature people I’ve ever known called themselves Christians. Some of the meanest people I ever met I met in church. And if you think Christians get along with the outside world badly, you should see how some of them get along with each other. Let’s face it, Christians are a mess sometimes. I should know. I am one.
 
One of the toughest things about being a Christian and about being an active participant in a church is the people. That’s why so many Christians don’t even identify with a particular church. That’s why so many Christians, even on Vashon, drive twenty miles to go to a mega-church where no one will ever know them and where the worship service is more of a show than a gathering of God’s people. Hipster Christians sit in coffee shops reading Rob Bell books. Hippy Christians call their hikes "journeys with God." Conservative Christians celebritize their favorite preachers and talk-show hosts. And nobody goes to church. Why? Because churches are full of people with issues. Why would I want to go there?
 
But what I have found is this: going to church and then complaining that it’s full of messed up people is like going to a hospital and complaining that it’s full of sick people. One of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity is the doctrine of sin. It has been said that the doctrine of Original Sin (the teaching that all people are born sinful) is the only Christian doctrine that can be proven. In reality, it’s easy to prove. To "sin" is simply to behave in a self-centered, as opposed to a God-and-others-centered, way – whether momentarily or for years at a time. To put it even more simply, to "sin" is to do what is wrong and to not do what is right. And, to be "sinful" is to be naturally inclined towards committing "sins." That describes me quite well. It also describes every person I have ever met - Christian or non, kind or unkind, child or adult. You don’t have to be a Christian to be a sinner, and you don’t stop being a sinner when you become a Christian. It is one thing we all have in common.
 
In response to those who wanted to use unkind and immoral people in the church as a proof that Christianity is untrue, C.S. Lewis asked in return: Would these unkind and immoral people be kinder and more moral without the teachings of Christ in their lives? Would they be better without the influence of the church? And what about the good and kind people in the church that attribute all of their goodness and kindness to the influence of Jesus Christ? Christianity seems to keep bad people from getting worse and seems to make good people better. Sometimes bad people even become good people (as a pastor, I find that this is usually what takes place – but it’s a long, slow process!). Good Christians do not prove that Christianity is true, but bad Christians certainly do not prove that Christianity is false. Churches are messy and Christians are messy because humanity is messy and humans are messy. For me, this is a saving grace. I don’t have to come to church pretending I’m not a mess anymore.