All I Am, For All You Are
‘Cause what I need and what I will be
are worlds apart.
On the last day of grade three, my classmates spontaneously decided to write goodbye notes to our teacher on the chalkboard during art class. I was very much into The Lion King at the time, and I wrote my note in Swahili using the lyrics booklet from my beloved Rhythm of the Pride Lands CD. “Mrs. Huska, ndiyani khumbula, la la kahle.” (I’ll miss you, farewell). I figured that, since teachers know pretty much everything, she’d be able to understand what it meant. I was quite proud of it, but when I went back to my desk, I heard two boys behind me making fun of it. They said it looked like someone had puked up random letters onto the chalkboard.
They had no way of knowing that what they were looking at was a beautiful and heartfelt sentiment.
I get the feeling very often that this experience of mine is a pretty direct parallel to Christianity and how the world interprets it.
When I think about the base concept of Christianity, I see it, too, as beautiful and heartfelt. The first rules, the commandments, are in place to protect mankind. Religious beliefs aside, can you imagine a world in which everyone did make their best effort not to be murderous, cheating, jealous, lying, thieves? If everyone did forsake material possessions in pursuit of truth, and loved others mercifully? If they died to their pride and truly were humble? I know human nature makes this impossible, but it’s a nice thought. Love and relationship is the heart of true Christianity. I can believe this because I’ve lived it my whole life. I think of the members of my church as family because that’s how they’ve treated me since I was young, and that’s how they still treat me.
In short, I have faith in the pure-mindedness of Christianity as a religion because I’ve seen the real Christians. The ones who aren’t shallow or money-grubbing. The ones who earnestly just want to follow Christ, and make personal sacrifices to make the world better. Not for glory or reward, but out of a sense of humility. Not to say there isn’t infallibility or hypocrisy. No one’s perfect, which people are quick to admit.
But then I talk to others and realize their opinion of Christianity is very low. How can this be? How can they think so badly of a movement trying desperately to help the world?
“Two people have different information, but they think the root of their disagreement is that the other person has bad judgment or bad manners or bad values. In fact, most people would share your opinions if they had the same information. —God’s Debris
I’m starting to realize that the reason is pretty obvious. It’s because they haven’t seen what I’ve seen all my life. All these people know of Christianity is the Bible (which they either haven’t read, or did read and became confused or turned off), the crazy late-night televangelists, the people who preach fire and brimstone all-ye-repent-thine-evil-ways on the street, or infinitely worse, misguided Christian friends or family.
A Christian’s mission in life is to love. Love as Christ did. Love their neighbour on behalf of Christ. If a Christian isn’t loving, they’re missing the mark big time. Which is why, if someone said to a Christian, “I feel so isolated and lonely,” hopefully the Christian would accept them and befriend them and show them the love of Christ. What I’m hearing instead are stories of Christians reacting in a way that says, “Isolated and lonely? Here’s a bible. Go home and read it. Feel the love. I’ve got to go now.”
In that light, of course Christianity has a bad reputation. The honest truth is that we’re meant to represent Jesus on earth, but gosh, those are big shoes (sandals?) to fill. When the imperfect are called to represent the perfect, some dissociation is bound to occur. And this dissociation is hurting people. I wish Christians would wake up and take this seriously, and get back to the main agenda: Love.
