But maybe we Christians should begin with ourselves before we start blaming others. After all, if we call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, then we should heed His words, especially those spoken in the New Testament text of St Matthew Chapter 7 and verse 3: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considers not the team that is in thine own eye?” (King James Version)
Basically, Christ is telling us Christians to start sorting ourselves out before we start judging others. For many folk, the only image of the Christian faith is us Christians and how we live our lives. Such folk can make judgement calls on the validity of the Christian faith in how they see other Christians live out their faith.
Ironically, it was the famous Hindu Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi who coined the observation: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Some of the most powerful lobbies in many places of worship are judgemental church gossips, especially in militant fundamentalist denominations. They love to pour out their bile on what you are doing wrong, but have these gossips ever stopped to think of the harm they are doing to the Christian faith?
In the past, I’ve been heavily criticised for challenging folk as to how Christians should rest on Sundays. Whilst as a journalist who passionately believes in freedom of expression, I fully defend the right of such critics to express their honestly held opinions, I do wonder if they have ever read the New Testament text of Romans 3 and verse 23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (King James Version)
Physically, when you point the finger at someone over something, there are three fingers pointing back at you! Are the judgemental church gossips and militant fundamentalists who like to point out my faults as a journalist for the opinions or challenges I express actually saying they are themselves sinless?
Or is it a case they are pointing out my faults because there are skeletons in their own cupboards that they would rather not be exposed, especially in a tabloid newspaper? The same challenge goes to those militant fundamentalists who don’t like the tabloid language which I would use as a journalist.
My late grandfather after whom I am named had a saying - he who throws mud loses ground! A lot of church gossips and militant fundamentalists who like to criticise others need to be careful that in throwing judgemental muck at folk that they don’t accidentally dig up an embarrassing skeleton from their past or present that they would rather remain unknown.
Likewise, such gossips and militant fundamentalists need to avoid tumbling into the so-called Pharisee Pitfall. Reading Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 18, when Peter asked Christ how many times should be forgive someone, Christ responds in verse 22: “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.”
There’s nothing a church gossip or militant fundamentalist loves better than to give some individual a hard-hitting admonishing - until some dirty little secret about them gets uncovered! Then they start yelling about the need for forgiveness!
This can be interpreted as ‘be careful what you wish for.’ Not only might you reveal some secret about yourself, but you may give the false impression that the Christian faith is all about telling people off. How is that attitude going to point folk towards Salvation?
Two instances have always bothered me during my own spiritual journey. It concerned two separate evangelists. I have heard both men preach and both very competently delivered solid ‘Ye must be born again’ messages. However, one became involved with the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Third Force, in the early 1980s.
I often pondered - how can you preach the Gospel yet get involved in paramilitarism? I fully understand folk who get involved with paramilitary groups before they became born again Christians and then rejecting paramilitary activity, but how can you be a preacher and a paramilitary member at the same time?
This confusion was also troubling me in the late Eighties when another solid Gospel evangelist I knew attended a rally of the loyalist paramilitary group, Ulster Resistance, dressed in full combat gear. I witnessed him being asked by a senior representative of the Ulster Clubs movement to form up the Ulster Resistance colour party - and off they marched!
This evangelist later confided in me as a reporter that he had become involved with Ulster Resistance because of his military experience. But I could never square the circle with this specific evangelist - what comes first; your role as a preacher of the Gospel, or your role as a paramilitary? You can’t serve two masters - Christ and your paramilitary commander.
Is it a case that church gossips and militant fundamentalists are selective in their choice of Biblical verses? They only take out of Scripture what suits their circumstances?
As Christians, we all have to accept a responsibility. Is it a case that folk are turning their backs on the Christian faith and church attendance because of the way we Christians behave?
I stand to be corrected by both church gossips and militant fundamentalists, but preaching and being involved in paramilitary activity don’t mix in my Bible.
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter John is a Director for Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. |
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