Today at lunch I was sitting in class listening to the Gay Straight Alliance meeting. They were a bit upset because the club apparently has some lack of direction so they got to discussing what they see as some of the biggest issues on campus they could try to address. I paid extra attention to listen to what they brought up and the results were unsurprising but disappointing nonetheless.
The first girl to speak said she was having some trouble with something her best friend said. She was vague at first about what her friend had said and just remarked that she wished her friend would have worded it differently. The club president pushed a bit to hear what exactly her friend had said. The girl started with “Well, she’s very religious, Christian.” The response was a chorus of understanding “ooohhhhs” and an “enough said.”
When pressed further she revealed that her Christian friend said “why should I care about homosexuals when they’re all going to burn in hell anyway?”
Who the crap is raising their kids to talk this way? The next thing the girl said about her friend sounded a lot more like something you’d hear out of Jesus’ mouth than what the supposedly Christian kid said:
“It’s okay if she believes something different. I mean, I don’t like it but I need to accept that about her and be her friend. That’s what this club is about – acceptance. So I know I need to accept her. I just wish she would have used different words.”
I know I butcher the message of Jesus in my daily life plenty to others and I do plenty of harm to the gospel with my actions. I can sit in judgment of no one. But I think the first girl is closer to the heart of Jesus than the one who wears the Christian label.
How sad that a club trying to stand up for a group that often gets made fun of and ostracized has this experience with Christians. How sad that we followers of Christ are not known for our love but instead for our hatreds.
3 comments:
granted i have heard that "Christian"'s saying through several filters... but I don't think your butchering any where compares to that intentional lack of agape.
So as true witnesses of God's love and truth we must redouble our efforts!
I agree that Christian kids say stupid things!
I've also heard from Adam that there'll be one more Christian kid making an appearance in your family sometime over the coming months.
Grats.
Thanks Jeff. Though I'd say whether or not the kid will be Christian has yet to be determined. Hopefully he/she will say few stupid things...though based on the fact that they will be my offspring I'd say the chances are not good on that.
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