cynicism
29 Sep 2005
Some cartoon art work from Philip Johnson who does not like emergent and the emerging church has been doing the linked rounds of the blogosphere. I found his cartoon satires hilarious, and like a good laugh at myself, and a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.
But in reading the comments, from dozens and dozens of christians, who seemed to enjoy being snide, rude, denigrating, biting, cutting, in talking about Brian McLaren and those os us involved in EC, I wondered, why do we do this to each other. And emerging church people do it just as much to others.
Why do we have to lash out with so much bile, and vitriol? Jesus said others would know we were His disciples by our love for each other, not our hatred, and venom, and dehumanization.
I had one of those moments reading the comments when I thought, if this is christianity please get me out of here. Then there has been the Christianity article, that was so personal and cutting, and inaccurate. Why, do christians need to legitimize what they believe by pathologically slating and criticizing other people.
Jesus told so many parables, about the Kingdom, I must have missed the one that said, it was like the politicians who slagged each other off.
Technorati Tags: Church, Emergent, Emerging, Emerging Church
3 comments
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Comment by Matt Rees
12.12 pm on 30 Sep 2005
Hi Jason. i read some of these comments and they really stick in my throat. i know where you are coming from.
unfortunately i think there will always be fellow Christians who want to prioritise truth over love (not that we need to choose one over the other, it’s a question of which we lead with i think).
i guess the challenge is to respond in the opposite spirit, which is what i think you’re doing.
Comment by Laraine Cole
4.01 pm on 4 Oct 2005
I think its easier to bad mouth someone else than do what is scarier and take a good look at yourself, your insecurities and fears. Most of us are scared about what we would find. For some people, (admittedly me)Its also hard not to be right :)
Comment by DangerMouse
8.30 am on 7 Oct 2005
I am reminded of the saying that there are three sides of a problem. 1) what you can do about it, 2) what you can’t do about it and 3) how you feel about it. My question to you my friend is the same the Lilo’s dance teacher ask’s her in the first scene after the title credits in Disney’s Lilo And Stitch. “But Lilo why is it so important to you” what others say or think about you? Cutting maybe, pointed, but a good question to ask nonetheless.
Acceptance & peace
DM
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