Growing up in a Christian household as I
did, I often heard that as disciples of Christ we should reflect him in the
earth. I was encouraged by my parents to avoid the very appearance of evil as
the bible says. I was never perfect at this task, but it was an ever-present and
guiding force for me through most of my life. Even now in my middle age I
understand that my actions are representative of my character in the eyes of
many.
During the past election cycle and truthfully
the past decade I have notice that there is a faction of those who would call themselves
Christians whose actions belie the profession of their faith. Though their
words espouse trust and belief in a benevolent and loving savior, their actions
promote hate and exclusion, and their politics support authoritarianism and fascism.
Some who claim Christ as their savior have aligned themselves with men and
women on earth who not only fail to reflect the principles Christ stands for,
but actively work to oppress, steal, kill and destroy. These are tenets attributed
to another biblical entity whom none of us should be seek to align with.
This week while working on another project
I was reminded of Jesus and one of his conversation with the disciples before
his crucifixion. He was talking to his disciples about his impending crucifixion
and departure from earth. What he told them was so outside the realm of what they perceived
as possible that some of them found it hard to believe. They asked him for
confirmation so that they knew his words were true. And to their requests, he
offered his resume. To paraphrase, he basically said, “Even if you aren’t quite
sure that I am a manifestation of the Father, there is NO denying all the good
that I’ve done while I've been with you. Believe the good I have done even if you
can’t believe the words I say.” Here Jesus himself is advocating for the notion
that actions speak louder than words. And he didn’t stop there. He went on to
assert that he fully expected them to follow his lead. And because they would
be in this physical plane longer than he would be, he anticipated them doing so
much more.
This all brings me back to the second
decade of this new millennium in America and the disparity between Christ of
the bible and some who profess to follow him now. There are many among the American population
now who like the disciples are asking this faction of American Christians “why
should I believe anything you say about your faith?” But unlike Christ, if they
were to offer their resume there would be very little to encourage anyone to
believe. Not only have they not lived up to the aspirations of Christ who intended
they do more than he did while here on earth, they have backed politics and
policies that serve to do the very opposite of what Christ advocated while he
was here; love, equity, redemption.
Faith is often defined as belief in the
unseen. I define it as a trust in the yet to be manifested reality. However even
Jesus understood that as humans we would sometimes require evidence on this temporal
plane, and to this end He provided the criteria by which we assess those who claim
to follow him. He said that we’d know them by their displays of love (John
13:35) and by the works that love inspired (John 14:11-12). And truthfully part
of this criteria bares out even for those who don’t claim Christianity or religion
at all. I am a writer. I love words. But I also know that idle words profit
very little. Words that inspire no action invokes very little change. Pondering
this made me assess my own life outside of the context of Christianity and ask
myself could I say to someone who asked for confirmation in regards to anything
I am promoting or endorsing “Believe me for the works’ sake?” Selah
“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:11-12
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