December 23, 2005 8:11 AM
Nilda on authentic Chrisitianity
Nilda left such a passionate and thought-provoking comment yesterday, that - as happened once before - I asked permission to publish it as an entry so all my readers would be sure to read it. It was on Sharing the Good News:
Thanks for sharing your testimony Barbara. I'm ashamed to confess that I'm probably one of the Christians that would pass by.I recently I begun questioning that aspect of me and realized that I was very stunted in my Christianity. I see people like the way you describe yourself - feminists, drug addicts, hating Christianity - and instead of feeling pain for them, and praying and trying to heal them, I run away, I hide, I turn my face away.
Until recently I did not know there were people in America that had not heard about Jesus. Growing up in Mexico, hearing wonderful things about the missionary work of Americans, I assumed that they were missionaries because they had finished their job here at their homeland; I assumed that if Americans didn't serve God it was because they didn't want to, not because they had not heard the good news.
What a mistake!
Recently I begun crying and begging God for a change of heart....I need a new one. I'm tired of the kind of Christianity that focuses so much on what others are doing wrong so I can feel better about myself (isn't that called self-righteousness?)
I'm tired of saying that God is number one in my life just because I spend Sunday morning at Church unlike everybody else around me, only worried about the game; I'm tired of being so concerned about my needs and not being considerate for the needs of others; I'm tired of Bible Studies groups that focus so much in the needs of the group (material needs) that we forget to pray for the most important thing of all: MORE OF GOD....more of Him, His presence, His intimacy with us; it seems to me that all we pray about is me, me, me, first me, then me, and lastly me, bless me, bless me, bless me......and by blessing we usually mean: the things I want, not so much of what God wants. Who then has time to pray for others, who is praying for the millions of women that live under bondage, whether that might be drugs, violence, slavery (yes, there is still a lot of slavery, right here in America), and what about all the little children.....Oh my heart hurts for the little children, yet when I bow down to pray all I can think of is me, my children, my husband, my family, my things, my wants.
I know is just me rambling; perhaps I'm the only one feeling so sick of the way I have practiced my Christianity; your post hits right in the nail because I like you, I like what you have to say, and just the thought that I would miss knowing you just because I could not see past the looks makes me hurt inside; how many people have I missed? How many people are not what God wants them to be because I failed to look a little dipper.
I can't wait to read your book. My journey to move beyond a cultural Christianity, a comfortable Christianity, started a few days ago. I can't wait to see all the things God is eager to teach me about Him, things that I "think" I know, but in reality, I know nothing.
Posted in Church Issues, Inspiration | Permalink
