Thoughts on "UnChristian"--Part 2

(I realized that I had to use this title, rather than "unChristian Thoughts"--wouldn't want to confuse anyone.)

Let's think about the first broad category/assumption made about the church by outsiders, according to the book: The church is hypocritical. Instead, the authors argue we should work to see this perception become "The church/a Christian promotes transparency and a change in actions before words."

Who would argue with the fact that the latter is a desirable goal among Christians? Not me! And the authors present lots of findings backing earlier studies that show the younger Christian generations are shot through with inconsistent behavior patterns. The statistics are depressing, as they have been ever since Josh McDowell did something similar a decade or two ago. Christians talk about morality but engage in immoral behaviors with staggering frequency.

Some of this behavior is hypocrisy, some of it is not. If I say I do one thing but do another and pretend that I don't, I am a hypocrite. If I say I do or should do something, do another, admit it and repent, I am not a hypocrite, I am a redeemed sinner. So let's not link failure automatically with hypocrisy.

That said, there are a lot of hypocrites in the church--in fact, most of us deal with trying to appear better than we are. It is not a church trait, it is a human one that is one of many sins that derive from pride. Each of us may be transparent about some failures (the safe ones, like wanting things we don't have, or lack of patience) and protective about others (lusts, ambitions) that are not as easily admitted by all. We fear what people will think of our failures, and we hide them, or think we do. Only when the community life within the church is convincingly safe might these barriers begin to come down.

This is a huge pastoral issue, but it is not the focus of the bad perception we are discussing. The perception is that Christians call others to standards that they refuse to live by themselves. Is this the case? And even if it is not, will those outside get it?

Do non church people understand fallenness, dealing with indwelling sin, the continued battle that rages within believers to walk in holiness? Do they understand that when we forgive blatant sinners who repent we are expressing grace--even if it is the seventy seventh time? Is it hypocritical to teach against divorce, then deal with divorce in your midst in a grace-directed way? Is it hypocritical to teach that God can deliver from substance abuse, but have recovery groups in the church that include people who fall?

Often when those who don't follow Jesus tell me that they can't stand the hypocrisy of the church, they are referencing well known televangelists I would not identify as part of the body, or people they know who go to church are are miserable neighbors or co-workers but loudly proclaim their faith. Both are problem situations that I think I can address to help my non Christian friend understand the difference between such people and what Jesus offers us when we are truly related to Him. I know, though, that these will be situations I'll see repeated. I think that has been the case since the first century. John had to deal with Diotrephes, a leader who magnified himself over the gospel. The Corinthian church had a few members who left unbelievers wondering what being a Christ follower was about when they were suing each other or when one was sleeping with his step mother.

I pray for a dearth of hypocrisy among God's people. And I long for greater transparency about our struggles and greater discernment in learning to demonstrate change as a basis of calling for it in others. This is not news that should shock us, but a situation that should remind us of what we are to be.