Friday 8 February 2013

Lux Christi

Hey all!

So I follow a blog titled 'Christians tired of being misrepresented'. The things on that page, at least when I first clicked follow, explained the feelings I have towards my faith almost perfectly- especially the title itself. I think I even remember searching facebook for exactly that.

As time went on, however, I noticed something. They separate themselves from Fundamentalists of any religion and Republicans (they are clearly an American page) who infer, or maybe even sometimes say directly 'vote republican and enter paradise.' I liked the fact that they debunked the myth among non believers that this is what all Christians are like. There is something a bit strange about it, though.

The love of God is UNCONDITIONAL. The light of Christ shines upon ALL people. They preach this very readily, and say things like 'we welcome those whom Fundamentalism rejects, because Jesus would welcome you', but when they lampoon the Fundamentalists, or, as they begrudgingly refer to them as 'fundies', they seem to imply the sinister notion that God does not love them. Which, I am sorry, is just as bad as fundamentalists saying that God does not love a certain group of people or a person.

Our religion has been damaged... the consequences are before us.
Now I know that some of you reading this will say 'you have never been in a fundamentalist world, you don't know what it's like, it's easy for you to say'. Well, maybe not. I have, however, spent 8 years working for a church whose parish held one tenet- 'the ordination of women is a schismatic act.' ONE tenet of their parish. Of course they were still Christians (Anglicans), but their parish was part of the 'forward in faith' movement... ironic. I also had a massive run in with Fundamentalism a few years ago. If you would like to know more about it message me. I would rather not blog it.

God's love and Christ's light shines on 'the righteous and the wrongdoers alike.' Forgiveness is hard, and Jesus tells us that and lets us know that that's ok. I still haven't really forgiven the person I had the run in with a few years ago. It is hard to accept, in the heat of the moment, that God loves someone you hate, or loves someone you don't like. It really is difficult- I know that the light of Christ shines upon the person with whom I had the run in, that is a reality, but that doesn't mean I forgive them for what they've done. 

God loves us all, without reservation. That is not an easy thing to say, or even accept, for most people; but it is if you misunderstand it. Regardless, with everything I have said, it should be clear- the light of Christ shines upon all, everyone from the Fundamentalists to the 'Christians tired of being misrepresented' page admins, unconditionally.

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'One day, we will have to stand before the God of history, and we will talk in terms of things we've done... and it seems I can hear the God of history saying 'that was NOT ENOUGH!' But I was hungry... and ye fed me not.' Martin Luther King

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