JESUS, SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!

Ok, I've got to get this out of my system... Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, "Jesus, Save Me From Your Followers!"??? Well, I have to admit - I laugh everytime I see those. Actually, I just sort of smirk a little bit and try to put myself in the shoes of the person who thinks like that.

Like me sometimes...

Ok, really - think about this. I know I'm reading into this (probably way too much) kind of far, but think about the cry of that statement. "Jesus - I believe in you and your power to help me, but those Christians who "follow" you, I just don't know about them."

What is up with this?

Could it be that many Christians have developed a "persona"? A persona of being judgemental, sarcastic (towards those who aren't following Christ), with the "I'm better than you because I am a 'believer'..." attitude.

What is this?!

I think the grace of God is amazingly powerful - yet in some ways, thin. Thin enough to see through it and remember what our life was like without His grace. For most of us it was an ugly life - full of things that none of us are proud of. I know we are supposed to forget about the past, but sometimes I think it's good to remember what our life was like BEFORE the change.

I recently read a story about some students who were being interviewed about religion at The University of California. When asked what they thought about Jesus, their responses were incredible! Words like, "Jesus? He's beautiful!" or "Yes, Jesus...He's my man...!" But when asked about Christians, words like this were uttered: "hypocrites, judgemental, etc..."

Again, What's wrong with this picture?

I don't picture Jesus walking around towns and villages staring down his nose at people. I think a lot of it has to do with our reaction towards those who have not yet bowed their knee to Christ. We expect non-Christ followers to act like Christians. We hear someone cuss or get upset and say something that we all probably say anyway when no one is looking, and we jump on them or look at them like they need to step up to our definition of "proper Christian behavior."

I can only speak for myself, but my hope is that when a seeker or unchurched person sees me and my life that they will look at me and say, "Now, if that is what God does in someone's life - then I want it." I hope that I'm seen as a "safe" person for my unchurched friends and family members to come to with their "issues" and "problems". If they feel like they can't, then there's a problem - it's at that moment that maybe I've become less like Christ and more like the religous Pharisees.

Comments!?