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revdorothyl at 10:55am on 03/08/2010 under religion
revdorothyl at 10:55am on 03/08/2010 under religionIf anyone read the first 8 pages of Adam Hamilton's new book When Christians Get it Wrong, which are posted on-line as a sample, here's how that introductory chapter ends (pp. 16-18):
For all the Christians who get it wrong, I believe there are many who get it right. They are not as vocal as their pharisaic counterparts. And they are not perfect. But there really are countless Christians who daily seek to live authentic lives of faith. They go out of their way to care for others. They are compassionate. They live and give sacrificially to others. They volunteer their time to serve the poor, or visit the sick, or take the time to encourage the discouraged. They work for justic. They genuinely love people.
When I asked John if he knew any Christians like this he spoke about Margie, a friend he described as "the real thing." She cared about John. She did not judge him. She is a thoughtful, intelligent, and committed Christian who has shown love to John whether he became a Christian or not.
When I think of Christians who get it right, I think of Kathy. She cuts hair in a salon in the basement of her home and I sit in her barber chair once a month. I go as much to be inspired as I do to have my hair cut. This woman has a heart of compassion that won't quit. Every month she shares a story of some project she hopes our church will get behind. Since she has scissors in her hands, I'm all ears! She has started and organized a variety of ministries to care for the homeless in our city. Perhaps my favorite is her work in cutting the hair of the homeless. I had never thought about where the homeless go for a haircut. But Kathy did. She had our church install chairs and sinks at several of the city's missions. Then she organized a team of barbers and stylists to go to these different missions throughout the month to offer free haircuts. She said:
I think that's what it looks like when Christians get it right.
When Christians get it right they love and give, they work for justice and demonstrate kindness. When Christians get it right they, like Jesus, befriend those who are outside the church rather than condemning them. And when Christians get it right, people are drawn to, rather than repelled by, their faith.
As I read the rest of this chapter this morning, I was reminded again of some of the more moving scenes in the film "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers", including one focused on washing the hair of homeless men and women in what seemed to be an almost sacramental act of care and respect.
I'm actually looking forward to seeing what the next chapter, on Christians, science, and politics, has to say.
For all the Christians who get it wrong, I believe there are many who get it right. They are not as vocal as their pharisaic counterparts. And they are not perfect. But there really are countless Christians who daily seek to live authentic lives of faith. They go out of their way to care for others. They are compassionate. They live and give sacrificially to others. They volunteer their time to serve the poor, or visit the sick, or take the time to encourage the discouraged. They work for justic. They genuinely love people.
When I asked John if he knew any Christians like this he spoke about Margie, a friend he described as "the real thing." She cared about John. She did not judge him. She is a thoughtful, intelligent, and committed Christian who has shown love to John whether he became a Christian or not.
When I think of Christians who get it right, I think of Kathy. She cuts hair in a salon in the basement of her home and I sit in her barber chair once a month. I go as much to be inspired as I do to have my hair cut. This woman has a heart of compassion that won't quit. Every month she shares a story of some project she hopes our church will get behind. Since she has scissors in her hands, I'm all ears! She has started and organized a variety of ministries to care for the homeless in our city. Perhaps my favorite is her work in cutting the hair of the homeless. I had never thought about where the homeless go for a haircut. But Kathy did. She had our church install chairs and sinks at several of the city's missions. Then she organized a team of barbers and stylists to go to these different missions throughout the month to offer free haircuts. She said:
Adam, most of these men haven't had another human being touch them in years. But when they sit in my chair, they are inviting me to touch them. I can feel them tense up at first, and then they relax. My prayer is that somehow, as I am touching them, cutting and styling their hair, they feel God's love for them through me. I don't care what they've done in the past, or whether they've bathed, or how they ended up homeless. I know their lives matter to God and that they are valuable to him. . . . When I am finished, I can see a visible change in these men and women. They look at themselves in the mirror as they rise from my chair and I sense that they remember that they are somebody -- that their lives have value -- all because of a haircut.
I think that's what it looks like when Christians get it right.
When Christians get it right they love and give, they work for justice and demonstrate kindness. When Christians get it right they, like Jesus, befriend those who are outside the church rather than condemning them. And when Christians get it right, people are drawn to, rather than repelled by, their faith.
As I read the rest of this chapter this morning, I was reminded again of some of the more moving scenes in the film "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers", including one focused on washing the hair of homeless men and women in what seemed to be an almost sacramental act of care and respect.
I'm actually looking forward to seeing what the next chapter, on Christians, science, and politics, has to say.
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