Who Wants To Demonstrate?

As I look around our world today, it’s painfully obvious that we are continuing to deteriorate morally, civilly and socially. I am one of those people who believe that we as Christians need to be active in the civil affairs of our country - volunteering wherever possible in positions of leadership and local government. I also think we should exercise our freedom to vote. Far too many people complain about the leadership of our city, our state and our country, but they don't take part in our public election process.
That being said, I also believe that our churches sometimes get too caught up in political and social affairs that happen to push our religious ‘hot buttons’. I’m not advocating any kind of ‘soft pedaling’ sin or compromising the truth of God’s word. All I'm saying is that we sometimes we go on a tirade against sin that often drives away the sinners. Just about every week I get an email, a flyer or a letter asking for our church to support some boycott or participate in a demonstration against the ‘ills’ of an organization or a group of people within our society. I do have strong convictions about things, and I will voice my opinions whenever it can be used for good. But I’m not not surprised when those who are unbelievers act like unbelievers. We as Christians are called to be salt and light to the world. I doubt if a gang of angry demonstrations and boycotts will do much to reach out to those who are lost and caught up in unChristianlike behavior. The real heart of the problem is a matter of the heart. I firmly believe that our greatest advances against these ‘ills’ of the world will be made when we as the Church begin to model Christian love and share the reason for the hope that’s within our hearts. When we truly begin to live lives that are Christlike and demonstrate the character and nature of Jesus in our culture. As we share our faith, God will change the hearts of those we are able to reach. As we love those who we may have previously considered ‘unlovable’, we will make more friends than enemies along the road of life, and encourage more 'seekers' to check out our Savior. And isn't that what we should be doing anyway? Pointing others to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ? Think about it this way: We only have so much time in this life. How should we be spending that time - fighting against sinners, or loving them into the kingdom? When you look at Jesus, the crowd with which He had the most trouble was the religious crowd. He showed Himself to be a friend to those who were ostracized by the religious folks. He hung out with fishermen, prostitutes, wine-bibbers and sinners - not to condone their sin - but to show them a better way. He devoted His time on earth to sharing the Good News of grace with all who would listen. And He has called us as the Church to emulate His example.
A while back a friend of mine gave me a great book entitled Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. He very poignantly writes: “The church does not exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it’s about all the people God wants to bless through the church. When the church loses sight of this, it loses its heart. This is especially true today in the world we live in where so many people are hostile to the church, many for good reason. We reclaim the church as a blessing machine not only because that is what Jesus intended from the beginning but also because serving people is the only way their perceptions of church are ever going to change. This is why it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn’t help. It makes it worse. It isn’t the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in this world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be.”
Good words for all of us… Instead of wasting the time we have demonstrating against everything, let’s demonstrate with our lives, the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Posted in: boycott, Christlikeness, Demonstrations