The random thoughts of a pastor in a place where "always reforming" is a way of life.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Sick, Sick, Sick

Sometimes I think Christians ought to come up with something else to call themselves that will separate them from the folks simply masquerading as Christians, bringing the real Christians down with them. I'm thinking specifically about those sickos in Kansas who were planning on holding a protest at the funerals of the Amish girls killed in Pennsylvania earlier this week. They call themselves Christians, yet they say such terrible things that Christ would never condone. I can't believe what I just read! One spokesperson for this "church" in Kansas said that the Amish girls deserved to die, because "they don't serve God, they serve themselves." It is never alright for anyone to say that anyone deserved to die, but this is the most ruthless thing I have ever seen, ever.

As Christians that believe that God loves everyone, what can we do to distance ourselves from the deranged folks that believe that God only loves them? If I go into an interfaith dialogue and say that I am a Christian, I don't want my dialogue partner to assume that I believe that God is punishing this country through the use of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). I think true Christians everywhere ought to do everything in their power to distance themselves from the sad individuals that seek hate instead of love.

Christians everywhere can be encouraged by the testimony the Amish community is giving in the aftermath of this senseless tragedy. Human nature drives us to seek revenge and to hold a grudge; the Amish community has reached out to the family of the man who committed these murders and forgiven him, seeking reconciliation rather than division.

In an age when so much of our vocabulary has to do with enemies and hate, it is refreshing to see a community working for love and reconciliation, seeking after God in the midst of pain and suffering. This is the love Christ preached, and it is a love that all Christians ought to embody everyday.