Christianity these days is in a severely uphill PR battle. Ask any non-Christian about how they perceive us, and you’ll probably get answers like “judgmental, hypocritical, and out of touch with reality”. The scary part, as a Barna Study indicates, is that these impressions are not based on media misinformation, but “specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches.”
Something is broken with present-day Christianity, and I thank Shane Claiborne for laying it bare this Sunday at Tenth Church. In his talk, Shane sizes up the situation by beginning with an interesting exchange between Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist:
When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
Luke 7:20-23
It’s amazing that the guy who prepared everyone for the coming of Jesus was now doubting Jesus. But the reassuring answer is not in what Jesus said. It’s in what He did. How then can Christians win people over if all we have are judgmental words and hypocritical deeds?
Perhaps it’s time to listen to Shane. As he observes, “the gospel spreads best not by force but by fascination”. And he says, “it’s not taught, it’s caught”. Perhaps it’s time we changed the way we walk and follow Jesus for real. We just might get non-Christians asking us to talk about our walk.
SavedByTheChrist - What Does It Mean 
Posted on January 30, 2012
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