One Loving Witness At A Time

Looking in my backpack just before my first class of the Spring 2010 semester, I realized I had forgotten to return my notepad to the backpack.  So, I walked to the nearest classmate, told them about my lack of paper, and asked for a piece.  His response was amusing.  Without looking up, he waved his hand in the general direction of the paper and told me to take some.  The only problem was that several of his books and handouts were laying on top of the notepad.  So when I hesitated, he quickly scooted the impeding items out of my way while letting on like it pained him to do so.  I tore out a piece and thanked him, joking about how I was so far away from being back in “school mode.”  I figured I would at least illicit a polite chuckle, but simply received a tight-lipped “Mmmm.”  As I walked back to my seat, I smiled and thought to myself “he must be a Christian.”

A Great Question

You may ask “why on earth does he equate that kind of behavior with Christianity?”  That’s a great question, but I’m not the only one who does so.  Therefore, the question is: why do many outside the church equate that kind of behavior with Christianity?

A Pile Of Beer Cans

I’ve had such experiences with fellow Christians.  Several years ago, I worked for the largest home-delivery frozen food company in the world.  To obtain new customers, we would walk door-to-door, introduce ourselves, leave a catalog, and ask if we could come back in a few days to see if they wanted to buy our products.  It quickly became apparent to me that the homes having trucks parked outside with those nude-female-silhouette mudflaps and cutouts of men relieving themselves in the yard beside a pile of beer cans housed some of the more polite, receptive, and eager-to-smile people.  On the other hand, I dreaded walking up to a house and seeing a stone in their landscape with John 3:16 carved in it, or a Jesus fish decal on their car. Nine
times out of ten these people were quick, sour, or just plain rude.

The Cowpoke Deacon

One customer in particular was an older man who refused to buy from me if he was alone unless his wife left an order.  “She doesn’t tend to the cattle, and I don’t buy the groceries” he would say.  One day I was apparently feeling flippant and I asked him “you’re involved in a church, aren’t you.”  He was taken aback slightly.  Then, after some hesitation, he affirmed.  Once I got back in the truck I laughed about how I had pegged him, but quickly grew somber when I realized that I didn’t recognize him by his fruits, but by his thorns.  Now, in his defense, he did treat me better after this, but it’s a shame that it took me finding out he was a deacon (yes, a deacon) to make him change his demeanor to be more like Christ.

So, to get back to where I’m going with this: I know that door-to-door sales don’t generally bring out the best in people, but should salespeople, or anyone, for that matter, dread going to “Christian” homes or functions and enjoy entering “pagan” homes?

I Gave At The Sanctuary

This aversion to Christians and Christianity doesn’t just occur among salespeople.  Just recently, I asked a waitress in the area if what I’d heard about Sunday restaurant patrons is true.  She confirmed, stating that tips-per-table do indeed decrease on Sundays, the day when church-goers resplendent in their church clothes patronize local eateries.  She spoke of one particular Sunday when two of every three tables did not tip.  This is the kind of witness Christians are putting forth: stingy with their money, unwilling to give where giving is due.

Ashamed Of Anti-Gospel-Acting Man’s Gospel

I once heard a story from a local pastor who ate lunch with a friend.  This friend was rude, impatient, and downright ugly toward the waitress.  After the meal, his friend left a meager tip and a gospel tract on the table.  When his friend’s back was turned, he quickly scooped up the tract and stuffed it in his pocket, ashamed to have the gospel associated with such rude and unforgiving behavior.

Now I’m not saying Christians should take out a second mortgage to tip exceedingly to poor waiters and waitresses, but I am saying that experiences like dining, meeting with salespeople, and our everyday dealings with people in general give us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate grace and love, the very traits God demonstrates which give us hope and abundant life.  If we, being people who have experienced God’s grace and love, cannot express grace and love, then we are like the wicked servant in Matthew 18:23-34:

 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.  24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

Let’s Come Up With A Cooler Name!  Yeah!

Another problem I see is that those who recognize the bad reputations Christians have rightfully earned want to distance themselves.  They refer to themselves as “Christ-followers” or “seekers” while they portray “Christians” as an entirely proud and self-righteous group.  This is unacceptable.  The church was referred to as “Christians” in the Bible by sarcastic unbelievers in Antioch who did so to denigrate and poke fun at them.  Putting aside the division this demonstrates to those outside the church, could it be said the “Christ-follower” crowd is doing just that once again?  If so, I am glad to be able to call myself a Christian and endure careless speech as the early church did.  The more I can be associated with those saints the better.  So, let us not abandon the Christian reputation in order to brand a new name for the church.  It’s still by extension Christ’s reputation, so let’s redeem it, even if it is one genuine, gracious, loving witness at a time.

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