Tuesday 16 October 2012

Are You a Christian?


Are You a Christian?
So Fucking what?


For the past few weeks I have been hearing this asked more and more. Are you a Christian?
As if it means a whole load of difference to anyone.

No, but I am a human being and would like to be treated as such I feel like replying. Irrelevant of the title I am still a good person who loves and does his best for everyone. I don't profess to be perfect but try to be a better man by living in accord with values from a higher source than those of mankind's supposed civilization. (As if he knows what that means anyway)

Many people are going around saying that they are Christian and what good has it done any one of us. I mean so they/you are so called Christians, fine, but does that make the rest of us worthless? They/you say, rather piously that they/you are saved in Christ and that everyone else is a sinner still to be redeemed. Seriously do they/you think that they/you are super human beings or something. I tell you something, I have read a lot of scripture in my time and so I know what I am talking about here. It doesn't matter what a person says they believe, it is all about what they/you do with that belief, and how they/you exercise that belief in their/your lives. It is no good saying that you are a Christian if you don't have the first idea what it means that you have to do to be one. Nor that the very idea behind the title is a task that they/you can't be bothered to actually implement in daily life let alone dealings with other human beings.

Listen up Christians, to your boss.
He never went about saying, “look at me how great am I with my nice title and freedom to harass everyone else,” did he?
No. he spoke the truth and never used such hostile tactics against anyone. He simply was polite and courteous and treated everyone as an equal, despite their apparent differences of faith and worship styles. Only when he saw people professing to be gods people, but using their positions to deceive and defraud others did he react at all with any indignation. He threw the sellers out of the temple because they were cheating people and praying on the poor and the helpless.
His followers once told him to stop the harlot from showering him with expensive gifts, and all he said was, let the woman do a kindness if she feels it is what she can do for me. He ate with her and others like her, often in preference to those that thought their own righteousness was greater. He did not judge anyone unfairly, he gave each person the chance to be considered as an equal on his merits as a human being first, and his chosen actions/form of worship second.
So, no I am not one of you, because I do not want anyone to think me a pious prick who is up his own arse with pride. I make the most of the chance to meet others, whatever their faith and share the truth of love with them, and if they judge me because I am not a confirmed member of the club, then so be it, I figure it is their loss for being so narrow minded and shallow.

Remember the story of the good Samaritan?
Yeah I bet you do.... No Jew or Gentile to be seen for dust, it was the good old Samaritan man who went out of his way to not only help, but see to it that the man was clothed, fed, nursed and had money to get home again.
You may not appreciate the tone I have taken to say this to you all, but I assure you that I have thought long and hard about it. In my defence, I will say that if there were no truth then you can in no way be feeling indignant at all, because what I am saying is not directed at you. If you are feeling a little indignant, then please look closely at yourself and see if the truth doesn't hurt because it may be true of your attitude towards others.
Look at what Jesus supposedly did for us all. He gave his life, to give you and I the chance to be redeemed. He didn't quibble and say well only the not so bad ones, or the less than really good ones can be included, he said it was for us all. When he gave he gave the whole nine yards.

He taught us to follow two simple commands, whatever the previous 10 had said or the thousands brought in by the Jews to complicate and unnerve everyone who wanted finite details because they were too selfish to actually try the simple method.
He said Two.

  1. Love god with all your soul mind and vital force.
  2. Love your neighbour as yourself.

I think we can safely say no.1 nails it for that topic.

No.2, well this is what it doesn't say to me.

It doesn't say, love my neighbour only enough to convince him he is cared about.
Nor does it say, as much as he thinks I do for him when in secret I take it all back.
Or does it suggest that the neighbour should get less because he is not connected to me in any real personal way.
And finally it does not mean that you should love your neighbour only in public, and behind the scenes do nothing to care for or nurture the relationship.

What it certainly does mean is this.

Whatever you would do to yourself with regards to caring, loving, being responsible, giving affection, putting yourself first, listening to your needs and wants and addressing those, THEN DO THEM ALSO FOR YOUR NEIGHBOUR.

And are you sure who your neighbour is?

Well if as a Christian you should love him as yourself, then why the hell don't you know him well enough to know his name or his needs concerns and desires, because you damned well know your own needs. You talk about them all the time, so why don't you know his needs too???
Because you are not at all interested in your neighbour, and by virtue of that, not at all really a true follower of a man who's sandals you clearly are not fit to untie. A man you say that you worship adore and trust. Someone who you say you try to emulate in every way to be a true Christian. Well I say this, if the shoe fits.....
Don't pretend to be a Christian, be a Christian if you must..!!!!
Do what Jesus would do in all situations, and if you get it wrong, never mind, keep trying. But don't use the title as a shield behind which to deny the true nature of the actions that you have pledged to adhere to in all areas of your lives. Don't be the hypocrite that you are when you ignore the force of Jesus's words to love your neighbour (effectively everyone on the planet) as you would do to yourself. In fact be better to others than to yourself then it will always be in your favour when the day of judgement comes, won't it?
Being Christian means being more observant of the needs of others and doing whatever...yes whatever you can to help them. Try taking the time to do something kind to a complete stranger and feel good about the love you have to share, rather than selfishly only doing things for yourself and those directly related to you already. Step outside the box and be what Jesus was, a lover of everyone and doer of fine works to his neighbours.

And please don't keep asking others if they are a Christian as if that means you can then treat them as second class citizens, for that is not an act of Christianity at all, but an act of the wicked one.!!!!

No small animals or children were harmed during the course of this rant and all words have been vetted by health and safety, according to all the rules of sharpes and dangerous and hazardous chemicals.....

May the love of the Lord forgive us all, especially me if I have offended anyone. But for the love of Christ please take a good look at yourselves.....

Loads of love and hugs,

Peaceful Warrior.