"Because I loved you"
I am further frustrated with 'christians' as being people who do not want to go outside their comfort zones. Remaining in tight circles that only include other christians, only listening to christian music, etc.
Here is my statement: Didn't God call us to go OUT into the world and LIVE for HIM? The only way that we are going to reach anyone in an honest way is not to stay in our cliques. We need to go out and experience the world so that the world will understand what we have to offer. The best witness? Living your life for God, being compassionate, getting into uncomfortable situations, being real, becoming friends with the world, growing in your personal faith and allowing yourself the freedom to explore how deep you can get into God. I believe that God is very compassionate. I believe that He has the power (way over our understanding) to do anything He wants and sees fit to do. We cannot control Him however much we may pray or go to church or only listen to christian music... I believe that He wants everyone. And He wants them the way they are... The one thing that He wants more than our 'spotless' living is our hearts loving on Him. Us giving Him attention and devotion and sharing that love and acceptance with everyone that we come into contact on a daily basis. Meet them on their level with their experiences. Above all, love them unconditionally as you believe God loves you.
The worst? Telling someone that what they believe is wrong. How dry and unfulfilling would the world be if everyone believed the same thing, or spoke the same or had the same laugh? Who are we to tell one another to believe the same thing? All we have are experiences. Nothing is concrete, no one learns the exact same way, or experiences the same thing the exact way as someone else. We need to be accepting people, understanding people, patient people, people that other people want to talk to rather than run away from us because they think we are going to shove our 'faith' down their throats.
I can't tell you how angry I am about people banning people from church or saying that not going to church is a sin. These people have no idea of what kind of image they are putting forth and how revolting this type of faith is to the rest of the world. I refuse to be apart of this kind of christianity.
I believe that I am loved unconditionally and that love is available to anyone at anytime by God. I want be called something that means truly what I believe. The word 'christian' does not describe me in this modern world.
I am a real Christ believer. What do we call that?
2 comments:
Thanks for your thoughts. I hadn't heard of this story before.
I am sorry to hear that your perception of Christians is bad. It is true that sometimes our brothers and sisters do things that make us wince. But such incidents are drops in the ocean. On the whole, Christ-followers are -- with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit -- doing more good for the world than the adherents of any other religion. That is not a boast, but rather a testimony to God's grace, that He would allow us to participate in His work. It is all His doing; we are merely "jars of clay" who deliver His redemptive love in word and deed.
As we all know, the media are not known for subtlety. "Family Banned From Church Because Of Autistic Son" is a powerful headline, but it is not entirely accurate. The family are not being banned from church because they have an autistic son, or even because of their autistic son, per se. Rather, they are being banned because their son's disorder "sometimes causes loud outbursts and violent behavior," which endangers congregants and disrupts the gathering.
As shepherd of his flock, the priest has a responsibility to ensure his parishioners' safety. Unfortunately, the autistic boy's behavior creates an unsafe environment: "In the petition, [Father Walz] wrote that Adam has 'struck a child' in mass, that he 'spits' and has 'urinated' in Church. Furthermore, 'it takes up to three adults to restrain him,' and sometimes his behavior is so disruptive his parents 'bind his feet and his hands.' "
Considering they've dealt with Adam's "repeated disruptions" for three years, the church has shown extraordinary patience. "Church leaders said they've exhausted all efforts to find a solution. They've suggested the family go to a different mass or sit somewhere else during mass, and they even suggested getting a mediator involved." Either the family was uncooperative, or none of the options worked. Banning them from church was a "last resort."
I found Ms. Race's quote remarkable: "Nobody should be subjected to this behavior, but guess what this is reality. Autism is a reality." First of all, she admits that "nobody should be subjected to [Adam's] behavior." Second, claiming that autism is a reality does nothing to advance her case. I understand the point she's trying to make. But just because something is an unavoidable fact of existence doesn't mean we should ignore all other concerns.
As someone with an autistic cousin, I sympathize with the Race family. It is a huge challenge for them. And it is extremely unfortunate that they've been barred from attending mass. But the congregation's needs must be taken into account as well. I believe a compromise could have been reached, but my guess is the Race's were not willing to be reasonable. Just a hunch.
On another note... There's nothing inherently wrong with only listening to Christian music. ;-) The Scriptures contain many passages exhorting us to be holy, as God is holy. Some of our brothers and sisters feel convicted in their conscience that listening to secular music defiles them, and we should not disdain them for it (see 1 Corinthians 8:7-13).
I appreciate the attitude of compassion and understanding you expressed so beautifully in your post. I encourage you to extend this same grace toward those in the family of God as well.
Thanks again for your thoughtful blog. I enjoy reading it. :-)
I totally agree. Much Love!
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