Last week I said I’d be watching carefully over the weekend to see how churches and pastors would respond to the absolute mayhem that was the attempted coup at the capitol building… You know, the one featuring prominent inappropriate and inaccurate depictions of Jesus and Christianity, and a doubling down of the idolatry of the 45th president of the United States and so called ‘American Patriotism’. My exact words were:
“I’m paying close attention to how churches and pastors respond this weekend to these attempts to defile the name of Jesus. We are kidding ourselves if we cannot acknowledge that this all has had and will continue to have spiritually catastrophic effects for people throughout our nation.”
And pay attention I did. I watched several different sermons on my own before watching social media blow up with responses to what they heard from pulpits, religious communities that claim Christianity, and prominent Christian leaders. I found some things that were encouraging, and many things that were disappointing… but not surprising.
Among the most common encouraging things I heard were from those publicly repenting, and from hope filled sermons calling for repentance while affirming the biblical account of who Jesus was, and is, and will be. Verses were referenced, the red lettered words of Jesus were referenced. All sharing and pointing to how we can know who Jesus really is, and in doing so- how we can become more like him.
Among the most common disappointing things I heard was spouted from opinions and world views and not at all backed up with scripture: There was this common thread that humans in church / religious leadership should never apologize. That prophets can never be questioned or even just wrong. That politicians and worldly leaders should never be idolized, and yet that religious leaders can never justifiably be knocked down. I heard a refusal for accountability to those in the communities being served, and even more so a fear of accountability within the broader American church.
This weekend I saw so many churches and pastors and religious leaders fall into either an outright alignment with or blatant teaching against Jesus words in Matthew 7:12-27, which says:
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” -Matthew 7:12-27 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/mat.7.12-27.esv
I’d caution anyone who is reading this to watch a variety of sermons from this weekend and research these scriptures for yourself instead of just taking my word… the reason this brought up so much disappointment and a giant red flag for me is this: Historically anyone who shirks or flees accountability and makes it seem wrong while yet being completely deserving of your loyalty free of questioning (ESPECIALLY within a religious OR political context) is after a dynamic of power and control. This is how cults get started, how dictators gain power, how holocausts and genocides happen.
Anyone who cannot and will not admit their wrongdoings, or failings- and publicly discourages others from doing so- will never have anything to offer as far facilitating healing, reconciliation, or efforts toward genuine peace and unity within their greater spheres of influence…. they can only offer look-a-likes and false pretenses under that kind of bondage.
And that’s really what a dismissal of accountability is to not only leadership, but also a community- it is bondage. The kind that serves up smoke and mirrors, ultimately creating turmoil, pain, and chaos.
Unfortunately, I am afraid that this has become the norm for what we call Christianity in America. I can see that terms like “patriot”, and “Christianity” have come to mean very different things in this country today than what I was taught while I was growing up. As someone who briefly studied anthropology and linguistics, I find myself wondering if it is time to ditch these terms…. for when language no longer means what it once meant, it can’t continued to be used in the old way.
While I will never denounce my God nor who I believe Jesus to be, I have become convinced that what has become broadly known as Christianity in America today is no longer reflective of what the Bible says is true. It feels like this term has become a tool to justify a set of actions, instead of a term to accurately describe what I believe… and that is probably the singular most horrifying and most sobering realization I have had so far this year of 2021.
How are you feeling after all of this?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments here, or wherever posted on social media. Share your thoughts!
La Bella Journeys: 