This is the fourth in a series of reflections I have been engaging with. After considering the Church to be ‘dodgy’, the next most cited opinion was that we are a bunch of miserable hypocritical moaners. People seemed to think the Church was, “Always on about what it didn’t like and yet did much of the stuff they moaned about themselves.”
I find this a challenging area because even though I have amalgamated ‘miserable’ and ‘moaners’ and added the blanket term ‘hypocritical’ I can see some truth in the whole response. The hypocrite label can easily apply to yesterday’s concealing sin and turning a blind eye to things and one common assessment was that Christians tell the world to do what they tell them to do rather than what they do themselves!” This is something quite troubling, for if they see no integrity in the Church and it’s member then surely they won’t trust the one whose message we bring!
I have often got into trouble because of the fact that upon becoming self-identifying as a Christian, one of my first mentors told me that I always had to tell the truth. So I did, and people didn’t like it! I should add that I still do, and people still don’t like it! I have often found myself drawn into a place that exists somewhere between, “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’,” (James 5) and the words of St Thumper of Bambi: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuffin’ at all!”. I try to choose my battles, after all there’s no point in entering into combat with people just for the point of it; but there is no warrant to ignore what is obviously wrong either.
This leads us to the bedrock of Anglican thinking and praxis: “Where is the via media to be found?” This is something to bookmark for a later think and have us move on methinks.
I asked those who engage with me why they have their view and the responses are a litany of awful encounters with what sounds like awful people. One group of people I visit ocassionally are old and miserable and yet they regard themselves as a lovely bunch of people. The problem is that they generally are lively to each other, but not to the stranger who comes into contact with them. They are unhappy that those outside their group don’t dress up for their services. They will be quite aggressive and rather rude to those who enter wearing hats. They are sad at the obvious demise of the church and yet unwelcoming to those who might dare to come.
When I was a student, one of the many posters that adorned my walls had a cartoon of a hippy with the words, “You can’t love God and hate your brother!”(1 Jn 4.20) written below it. The image of the invisible God is made visible in the person before us and we are called to serve God and humanity - this should be something that’s generally popular as I see it. These words changed my mindset and saw me doing things that others didn’t always ‘get’.
One of the strangest fruits that grew from this changed outlook came when a bunch of the church I was in visited London to see Jesus Christ Superstar. Having got off the bus we found ourselves walking through Soho Square. Passing some of the women plying their trade the people with me were a bit surprised that many of them greeted me by name (something the Pastor asked me about the next day when he asked to see me). The answer was simple; I worked around the corner and on cold nights (when in the night shift) I’d take them coffee and toast. This was where I was taught about the appearance of evil - a valuable lesson sometimes wrongly applied it seems.
I believe I have a duty to engage with those who are ‘caught in a sin’ so that I can ‘restore them, gently), but I don’t engage with them to deal with their sin (neither do I engage with them to convert them) but I engage with them because they are fellow humans with stories to tell and relationships to be made. Once we know each other we might discuss sin (mine and theirs) and dialogue and even see one or both of us change through the encounter - but Church is not called to be a bunch of judgemental ‘holier that Thou’s,’ and neither is it to proclaim all is well when challenged over another’s sin!
So, are Christians miserable? The answer has to be: Sometimes.
Are they hypocrites? Sometimes.
Are they a bunch of moaners? Sometimes?
Do they show and make real the love of God, exhibiting concern and care to others? Sometimes.
Are they human? Always?
Can they be taught? Sometimes.
The caveat I have used with many who have labelled us as miserable moaning hypocrites is: “We are all sinners aren’t we?” This can provide us an entry to dialogue deeper and consider our own shortcomings, sometimes not. We sense the direction the wind is blowing (could that be the Soirit’s breath) and act accordingly. The trouble is that many of us, when pressed or under pressure feel the need to defend ourselves by means of attack and in doing so, take upon ourselves those negative labels.
Acceptance, love, forgiveness (which requires an understanding of that which requires forgiveness in our lives) and the desire to see those ‘far off’ brought near: isn’t that what we are here to be?
Seems we have a lot of teaching to do with a people who far too often present themselves as an extremely high inertial load.
So, twenty minutes done, time to move on up and out and do the stuff with the prayer that the day will result in many great encounters. Who knows, I might learn something new and even be taught :-)
Pax
