The ears of our generation have been made so delicate by the senseless multitude of flatterers that as soon as we perceive that anything of ours is not approved of, we cry out that we are being bitterly assailed; and when we can repel the truth by no other pretence, we escape by attributing bitterness, impatience, and intemperance to our adversaries.
Martin Luther, in a letter to Pope Leo X
Here’s a fascinating and eye-opening experiment that you can try in the safety of your own home. Go to Google. Now, begin typing in the following phrase:
Why are Christians so
Google automatically completes the remainder of your sentence, giving you the most commonly-searched for phrases that begin with the same words. Here’s what comes up:
Why are Christians so crazy
Why are Christians so closed minded
Why are Christians so judgmental
Why are Christians so ignorant
Now, try something else. Keep searching for “why are Christians so”, and this time put in the first letter of the alphabet — A. Now what comes up? To save you time and effort, I’ve compiled all the Google autocompletes for each letter of the alphabet. Now, courtesy of Google, Inc., here is what comes up when you type each subsequent letter of the alphabet beginning with the phrase “why are Christians so”…
A
Why are Christians so ARROGANT
Why are Christians so ANTI-GAY
Why are Christians so AWESOME
B
Why are Christians so BORING
Why are Christians so BRAINWASHED
Why are Christians so BLIND
Why are Christians so BIGOTED
C
Why are Christians so CRAZY
Why are Christians so CLOSED MINDED
Why are Christians so CONSDESCENDING
Why are Christians so CREEPY
D
Why are Christians so DIVIDED
Why are Christians so DEFENSIVE
Why are Christians so DELUSIONAL
Why are Christians so DIVIDED ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY
E
Why are Christians so EASILY OFFENDED
Why are Christians so EVIL
Why are Christians so EXTREME
Why are Christians so AGAINST EVOLUTION
F
Why are Christians so FAKE
Why are Christians so FAT
Why are Christians so FULL OF HATE
Why are Christians so FEARFUL
G
Why are Christians so GULLIBLE
Why are Christians so GOOGLE SEARCH VIDEO
Why are Christians so GREEDY
Why are Christians so ANTI-GAY
H
Why are Christians so HOMOPHOBIC
Why are Christians so HAPPY
Why are Christians so HYPOCRITICAL
I
Why are Christians so IGNORANT
Why are Christians so IGNORANT YAHOO
Why are Christians so INTOLERANT
Why are Christians so INSECURE
J
Why are Christians so JUDGMENTAL
Why are Christians so JUDGEMENTAL YAHOO ANSWERS
Why are Christians so JUDGEMENTAL YAHOO
Why are MOST Christians so JUDGEMENTAL
K
Why are Christians so KIND
L
Why are Christians so LAME
Why are Christians so LOVING
Why are Christians so LONELY
Why are Christians so LEGALISTIC
M
Why are Christians so MEAN TO ATHEISTS
Why are Christians so MISERABLE
Why are Christians so MATERIALISTIC
Why are Christians so MEAN
N
Why are Christians so NARROW MINDED
Why are Christians so NICE
Why are Christians so NAIVE
Why are Christians so NEGATIVE
O
Why are Christians so OBSESSED WITH HOMOSEXUALITY
Why are Christians so OBSESSED WITH ABORTION
Why are Christians so OPPOSED TO GAY MARRIAGE
Why are Christians so FULL OF HATE
P
Why are Christians so PUSHY
Why are Christians so POOR
Why are Christians so PERSECUTED
Why are Christians so PRO ISRAEL
Q
[NO AUTOCOMPLETE]
R
Why are Christians so RUDE
Why are Christians so RETARDED
Why are Christians so RACISTS
Why are Christians so SELF RIGHTEOUS
S
Why are Christians so STUBBORN
Why are Christians so STUCK UP
Why are Christians so SELFISH
Why are Christians so SELF-RIGHTEOUS
T
Why are Christians so UNLIKE THEIR CHRIST
Why are Christians so MEAN TO ATHEISTS
Why are Christians so MEAN TO EACH OTHER
Why are Christians so MEAN TO GAYS
U
Why are Christians so UNCHRISTIAN
Why are Christians so UPTIGHT
Why are Christians so UNHAPPY
Why are Christians so UNLIKE THEIR CHRIST
V
Why are Christians so VIDEO
Why are Christians so VIOLENT
W
Why are Christians so WEIRD
Why are Christians so WEAK
Why are Christians so WORDLY
Why are Christians so OBSESSED WITH HOMOSEXUALITY
X, Y, Z
[NO AUTO COMPLETE]
I’d like to make three observations about this list.
So, with the unimpressive list of pejorative questions above, how should we respond?
1. Option 1: If we’re Christians, we should expect this type of thing.
Let me string together some Bible verses: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). “If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you…If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18–20) “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
That’s the reflexive answer. That’s the answer that makes us feel good. That’s the answer that exonerates us from some of the guilt that perhaps we ought to feel.
But there’s another answer.
2. Option 2: We as Christians are to blame for the ugly picture we’ve painted of ourselves.
I realize I’m painting with broad brushstrokes, but is it possible that we deserve some of the reproach? This gets uncomfortable. We prefer to think, “Yeah yeah! We’re being persecuted!” when in reality 1) it’s not even persecution, and 2) we are partially to blame for it.
In a sense, this list is humorous. After all, how many unbecoming adjectives can you heap up behind a single search phrase? At the same time, however, this list is sad. It’s sad, because Christians are recognized as an odious, ugly, bickering, hypocritical bunch of people. We are living out the exact opposite of what Christ commanded, which is that we be known by our love. When I read through all those search queries, I thought of two passages:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
(Matthew 22:37–39)
We probably won’t be able to change the autocompletes in Google, but perhaps we can by God’s grace pursue Christlike change in our own lives.
My four-year old daughter got me thinking about God’s omnipresence recently. She hasn’t exactly used the word “omnipresence” in a sentence or anything, but we have a little kid’s catechism book that we’re working through. One question goes like this:
Question: Where is God?
Answer: God is everywhere. Job 11:7
When she heard this, she objected, “No, no, Daddy! God is in heaven!” It was time to talk about omnipresence. I realized, while trying to explain it, that God’s omnipresence is hard to fully explain, let alone to try to understand. Even though we can’t fully grasp it, we can confidently believe it. Though it can be explained more, it is not less than the three-word statement above: God is everywhere. I’ve written some meditations on God’s omnipresence over at Crossleadership.
Is God Really Among Us? A Bold Declaration of God’s Omnipresence
Today, I came across this quote from Søren Kierkegaard while I was reading Jeremy Walker’s new book, The Brokenhearted Evangelist. It’s a worthwhile concept to ponder as we think about it in relationship to evangelism.
“It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning. They shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to an end amid the general applause from all the wits who believe that it is a joke.” (Kierkegaard, Either/Or)
So, what’s the moral of the story? Multiple choice:
Recently, I was thinking about identity — all the whatever-it-is that comprises who I am as a person. When I think about my identity, I automatically think about my roles, such as dad, husband, or my occupation. Or, I consider accomplishments or status — academic degrees, income level, etc. Or, I think about passions, character traits, health, or whatever.
The problem is that none of these capture my essential identity. What am I or who am I when all of these things are stripped away? If I haven’t yet attained my goals or dreams, am I lacking in my identity?
According to the Bible, our identity isn’t necessarily in what we do, what we drive, or how we live. Our identity is in Christ. Tim Keller captures this truth when he wrote,
Our security, our priorities, our sense of worth and uniqueness — all the things we call identity — should be based on what God has done for us and in us. Our security, our priorities, our sense of worth and uniqueness – all the things we call identity – should be based on what God has done for us and in us. This means that if we do not have a name, if we are insecure and have to ‘find who we are,’ we have either no grasp or an inadequate grasp of what God has done.
When we remember this, it redeems our sense of self from the spiral of despair, and places it in the security of Christ.
Jesus said, “everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments”—the commandments to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). By extension, I think it’s safe to say that everything in the entire Bible has something to do with the principles of loving God and our neighbor. God is love. Jesus, and His love are the focal point. Because of this, we can love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Because of this, we can love our neighbor as ourself.
I used to be derisive of Christians who always talked about love, thinking it was some sort of wishy-washy, pseudo-spiritual talk to cover up their compromise and backsliding. Now, however, I see that Christianity really is all about love. See John 13:35 and 1 Corinthians 13:13. Life boils down to two basic ideas: loving God and loving other people. This is what Jesus said.
The concept of love is mind-numbingly profound, yet shockingly simple. If the Law and the Prophets, and likely the New Testament, is based on these commandments, it makes sense to read the Bible through the lens of love, as Jesus’ words suggest. This isn’t some new hermeneutic, or some edgy way of trying to interpret Scripture. It’s simply reading and living out the Bible through the lens of love—the greatest commandment.
Here’s a true story told by Steven Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (p. 30–31). Covey uses this story to illustrate ‘paradigm shift.’ The story illustrates the way we look at people, for better or worse.
John Murray has an insightful comment in his introduction to Calvin’s Institutes.
It is therefore an audacity, closely allied to a sacrilege, rashly to turn Scripture in any way we please, and to indulge our fancies as in sport; which has been done by many in former times.”
