November 20, 2010

Going Against the Grain

Rejected. Muted. Belittled. Disrespected. Shamed. Persecuted. Ignored. Ridiculed. Shunned. Severed relationships. Loneliness. Isolated. Shut out. Not heard. Invalidated.

These words describe what it’s like when you find yourself not relating to the Republican Christian Right but still consider yourself a Christian. It’s what happens when you don’t conform like you are supposed to. These are the fruits of choosing not to agree with the Pro-Life movement or the hard stance against the LBGT lifestyle. This is a result of your support for President Barack Obama as a Christian.

The Pharisees conformed very well with their expected roles in society and within the Synagogues. The label “Pharisee” brought with it respect and legitimacy among their own. You do what is expected according to the law, then you are accepted and considered righteous.

Jesus Christ touched what was considered unclean by the Pharasees.

Jesus Christ talked to people who never should have been talked to.

Jesus Christ walked towards those who the rest were running away from.

Jesus Christ was gray when everyone else was proclaiming to be either black or white.

The Christian Left

Those who hate abortion but refuse to be called Pro-Life. Instead, choosing to approach the abortion issue by loving women who choose the procedure and finding ways to help prevent abortions from happening in the first place.

Those who do not support capital punishment, thus could label themselves Pro-Life but for different reasons.

Those who accept lesbians, bi-sexuals, gay and transgender people because they are people created by God just like us. Who refuse to join the mob. Who choose to understand and find common ground. Who leave the judging to God and accept the role mandated by Jesus himself, which is to “love thy neighbor as thyself”.

Those who do not look at Israel as country/people to be worshipped, but choose to speak out against the violence and injustices caused by the lack of peaceable resolutions by both sides.

Those who vote for leaders who choose to serve people and not religious ideologies.

So, there it is. Christians who choose to go against the grain of their religious group open themselves up to everything that is described in the first paragraph. It is a conscious choice. It is a difficult choice. It is a lonely choice. That’s what happens when you choose the narrow path, the path once considered Christian, exclusively and broadly. You’ll soon find that the narrow path means separate from the Group.

I’ve come to start a fire on this earth – how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up – how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be – – – – Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in law. [Luke 12 – The Message]

I do believe we are in good company!

http://nuggetsnbits.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-left.html