A Rebuttal of Hatred

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. You are no more a "Christ Follower" then I am a vegetarian (says while eating a live cow). I am sorry some apostate emergent teaching has lead you to believe you are a Christ follower...


The above comment was made in response to my posting called "Hatemongers & Whoremongers." There are some things I'd like to say in reply. I don't know if this hateful person will ever take the time to review my response to his/her cowardly attack (I say cowardly because this person chose to say some very unkind things without having the courage to put their name to their remarks.), but regardless of whether or not they ever visit my blog again, I feel it's important for me to express my feelings about what they had to say. I have copied their comment in its entirety, with the exception of the website link they chose to include. As this is a site I don't want to encourage others to visit, I've chosen to exclude it.

For starters, this is precisely the kind of response I'm talking about that has alienated the secular world from the church. The words of Jesus are hard enough to wrestle with for some folks, but attitudes like the one above do nothing but make those words harder to accept and reveal nothing of the wooing, loving heart of God. I'm not trying to imply that God is some type of soft grandfather who winks at our sinfulness, but He is a God who describes Himself as patient, slow to anger, quick to forgive, abundant in mercy, a friend of sinners, intimately aware of our frailty in our human state. The message above was none of these things. It was harsh, judgmental and unkind. And let me tell you, there was not one drop of the love of Jesus in it. This person who believes me to be deceived in my belief that I'm accepted by God as a Christ follower has offered no helping hand or insight to show me the way to what they deem to be truth, unless the website that was included was supposed to serve as some form of assistance. Instead, they have chosen to rudely throw their opinion at me while leaving me in the pit of ungodliness they believe I live in. They have not talked to me, they do not know me or my story, and I can only presume that they did not bother to take the time to read any of the other thoughts I have made myself vulnerable in sharing. This person does not know that I base my salvation not on some "apostate emergent teaching," but on the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on my behalf. I am not a Christ follower because it's trendy or because it appeals to me. I'm not a Christ follower because it sounds like a good thing to do. I'm a Christ follower because He drew me and called me and reached out for me from a very young age, because despite my imperfections and struggles He is merciful to me, because I have placed my trust entirely in His ability to save me and make me what He wants me to be, and most decidedly not because I have it all right and do a great job of keeping all the rules.

Let's just suppose, however incorrect that supposition may be, that this person is right and I am not a true Christ follower. As this person considers himself a true Christ follower, it is his duty and responsibility to share the truth with me. By the example of the apostle Paul, this person should lovingly instruct me if my path is incorrect, not throw a missile of judgment and dash away to his next victim. Clearly he is insincere in his assertion that he is "sorry" I have been lead to believe I am a Christ follower by some false teaching or another. If he is truly sorry, he would attempt to help me understand what it means to be a true Christ follower, not simply attack without giving any legitimate, concrete reason for his assumptions regarding my spiritual state.

And for the record, I had never even heard of the "Emerging Church" until about two months ago, and I still have only the vaguest idea of what it is these folks are teaching. Amazing, is it not then, that they have been deceiving me about my being a Christ follower ever since October of 1993 when I made a personal commitment to Jesus. Who could have thought their influence could be so far reaching that they could mislead even those who have never heard of them and are unfamiliar with what they're all about? So next time, friend, get your facts straight before you start making ignorant assumptions and throwing them out there with so little grace.

Finally, I would remind this person that, according to the words of his or her own mouth, he/she was eating a live cow at the time their comments were made. Be careful. You are in violation of the decrees issued at the council of Jerusalem. In case you aren't familiar, the account can be found in the book of Acts. The apostles determined that all Christ followers were to abstain from eating/drinking blood. Next time, cook your meat before beginning lunch, or you too may end up deceived and living in gross violation of clearly stated laws. As you are so evidently a lover of the law, this would be a grievous misfortune for you. :)

I don't know whether my reader found my post offensive because I sometimes use profanity, or because I went to a parade where naked people were riding bikes, or because I was in a crowd with sinners of all kinds, or because I dared to challenge the hatemongering signs waved by his Fundy cohorts. I do know that Jesus would have taken a far different approach to correcting any error I might be in. I'm not saying Jesus didn't preach hard truths, but even when He had to confront the rich young ruler the Bible says "He looked at him and loved him." When you can look at me and love me, when you can sincerely desire to help me see "truth" (if I am deceived in my perspectives), when your heart aches for me to know the love and joy and freedom of Jesus that I doubt you know yourself with your self-righteous trappings, then you will have the right to speak to me and confront me. Truth, without love, is a weapon, and it will wound without healing.