I have seen the movie and heard of the book, and I must admit when my friend opted we watch it I had my doubts, and hidden denial. I didn't know anything about it, but the name alone gave a weird taste to my mouth. It sounded like an oldie, and by oldie I mean boring and not my cup of tea. Twenty minutes into the movie I was hunched on my knees, intrigued by the plot, and horrified at how true the character portrayed the Church, a long with bits of my old self post finding Jesus, again.
If you've never seen it, or read the book, I would highly recommend it. Yes, it will offend some Church-folk with it's college humor and sexual antics, but this one of the best portrayals of reality in its purest (more like "defiled") form I've seen in a long, long time. Donald Miller, the author of the book and protagonist of the story, does a phenomenal job in sharing his own stories and adventures on how he left the comforts of the Church Bubble which burst like a balloon on a hot day after entering into Reed College--the most godless, reckless college of his day and age. After growing up in the Church as the assistant to the Youth Pastor and thinking he had it all and knew even more, he soon fell into the traps of the world after colliding with chaos that would soon challenge his beliefs and ultimately cause him to fall.
Thankfully, by the end of the movie, and as the power of the blood goes, Don was able to grow closer to God and find more reality in his faith than in the fictitious reality his friends who consisted of a fake pope with a delusional view of a deranged "god-like" figure as presented from his past, a free-spirited-yet-troubled lesbian, an agnostic mentally sadistic Russian and of course, the saving grace to the story (and the nye-uncatchable beauty) Penny.
The movie's ending is phenomenal, which is probably (most likely) why I like it so much--and no, I'm not going to say it because that will give it away. But it got me thinking, why is the Church/Christians so afraid of their imperfections much less to admit they're wrong and they are not as holy as they make themselves out to be? I'm not saying we should parade around our cities with lists of what we've done wrong (although in some cases I am tempted), but neither should we condemn those who struggle with the same sin that we do. Who am I to sit here and say sinners are going to hell when the only reason I am not a labeled "sinner" anymore is because I have been saved by grace after accepting the knowledge and love of a God who is simply wanting to adopt me into His family and save me from myself?
I got convicted because the Lord began to work on my heart in asking me two things:
1.What have I not shared that needs to come out of hiding?
There are power in words as I found out earlier that afternoon hanging with my best friend, sharing some pieces of my testimony I had never really gone deep about yet felt led to share. It wasn't anything bad or juicy, it was just a piece of my heart that I had worked hard to protect and in my "attempt" to protect I failed to let anyone in--including God who simply wanted to heal me.
So where am I going with all this back and forth tolerance secret stchuff?
Believe it or not, I am attempting to point back to the basics which was so beautifully and eloquently revealed in "Blue Like Jazz" and that is we need to knock off this holier than thou crap and just admit we are all the same: we are all sinners. But, even though we are all sinners, we are all given the same opportunity, the same chance, the same present: LOVE.
"For God did not send his Son (Jesus) into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (Love)." -John 3:17
I will be the first to admit, I've pointed more fingers than I wish to admit, but I will also admit that I was wrong to do so. I should have acted out in love, but through my scales of pride or ignorance or selfish ambition, or whatever, I didn't. And in my doing so, I have not only added to the poisonous stereotypes that result as to why the world hates Christians but I have also poisoned the perfect image of Christ being the epitomy of Love and as a result I have defiled the simple purity of Love. I am part of the very reason why so many are going to Hell because I have attributed to their false doctrines and false beliefs that God hates sinners and since we're all "sinners" He hates everyone. I have added to the lies that God has turned his back on certain people groups and they are headed for "Hell in a handbasket."
However, now that I have admitted my wrong and admit that I've been an idiot, I would ask that you please forgive me. I must admit, I have acted hateful towards certain people groups because in my ignorance I refused to see things the way you do because I fell for the pride card of "No, I'm right you're wrong." But regardless of who is right or wrong, regardless of my own convictions or beliefs, I should have acted in love. I should have at least listened to your story rather than jumping the gun and accusing you for your beliefs. Sure, you're entitled to believe whatever you want, but that doesn't mean you're right (or that I'm right). I could believe that the sky is red and the grass is purple, and while that is a false reality it's my reality. But at the same time, I (personally) want to know the Truth so I will do whatever it takes, in most cases, to do research to discover for myself what the Truth is.
There is an absolute Truth to everything regardless of your beliefs or background, but as with every Truth there is a choice. You can choose to believe I'm right or that you're right, and only you can change your mind about that. My mind is made up and set on several different areas of life that I believe to be absolute Truth according to my own research and my own convictions based on the way I was raised and the way I am wired. Here's a few examples:
I don't agree with homosexuality, but I have a best friend who struggled with homosexuality for years.
I don't (personally) agree with tattoos nor will I (probably) ever get one. However, 45% of my friends have at least one tattoo.
I don't agree with any stage or form of abortion. However, if you have gotten an abortion or helped someone get one I will not (or at the very least will try not to) judge you.
I don't agree with doing drugs or smoking or drinking until you're drunk. (But if you personally want to indulge in any of the above, hey game on it's your choice.)
I don't watch nor have I read any of the Harry Potter books because it deals with wizardry and witchcraft. (Yet, I will admit I watch and love Lord of the Rings. But! JRR Tolkein was a widely known, well-professed Christian, and was responsible for converting his friend C.S. Lewis to Christianity.)
The Bible clearly states we should each go according to our own convictions (Romans 14:22), but that's not to say that it does not have its own explicit rules of do's and don't's along with what's okay and what's not. (The book of Leviticus is full of those.) But above all else it has commanded us to love as God loves us. Jesus said it himself to the Pharisees, the "greatest commandment of these is to love".
The Church (as a whole) has done a wonderfully awful job in making sure the world is aware of its sin, but they have failed (as a whole) to encourage people to come to the saving grace of Christ that fulfills the empty space that gapes and grips the core of every human that has yet to fully encounter the beauty and the mercy of Truth that sets the captives free.
In Blue Like Jazz, Don took the initiation and the freedom upon himself to apologize to those who crossed his path for ways that the Church either failed or burned his peers in their pasts. The "pope" turned as hateful as he had for being raped by a priest as a young boy, but healing and understanding began to work against his clouded judgement as Don took it upon himself to ask for forgiveness for what happened.
Instead of pointing the finger of judgement, we need to extend the hand of love.
Christ never condemned anyone, especially not the sinners. I'm reminded of the prostitute who (rightfully according to Jewish culture) should have been stoned, and almost was by the religious leaders, but Jesus stepped in saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Jesus was the only one who could have cast a stone, instead he cast the net of love and set the woman free telling her she was forgiven from her sins.
We can say until we are blue in the face that we need to be more Christlike, but until we allow our talk to match our walk we have nothing to say and nowhere to go. And I would personally like to start by saying once again, to everyone I have ever hurt, or to anyone in general who was burned or hurt by some religion involving Christ or the Christian Church, I'm sorry. I'm sorry we have acted out in hatred before love, or shared in condemnation before compassion. I know we will (sadly) fail you again, because we're humans, but from this moment forth I want to do my personal best to love unconditionally as Christ first loved me. I don't deserve His love, but He still gives it eternally. May I learn the beauty of His grace so that I can extend it to you as I know He would if He could.
-(A once broken yet saved by Grace) Saint
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