C.S. Lewis once said that "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." His short, simple definition was spot on. His short, simple definition completely sums up what Christianity is, or is supposed to be. It is grace, it is love. We've all heard the term "grace period." We all know that a grace period is something that we do not deserve but we receive anyways, out of the goodness of another's heart. Grace is a term that defies all logic and reason. Grace trumps Karma. They can't coincide.
Although Hazlitt's was an example, and a very short example at that, what he says about the way Christians act is completely accurate. I say that as a generalization, of course. The Christian that the world is shown is constantly "casting the soul that differs into hell-fire." But that is not the way it was intended to be. These are religious people who have lost sight, or never sought, the truth. (Although many might argue the validity of this with one particular passage in the Gospel of John that mentions something about truth.) The truth is that if Christians are to be followers of Jesus, then they should act as Jesus acted. Jesus, as documented, was a man of the aforementioned grace and love. He exemplified these words in His life. He exemplified these words in His teachings. He was not a man of hate and bitterness but of love and service. A life of compassion that is to be an example to human beings altogether.
The world misses the message of Christianity because the Christian has led them to. The world's Christian is too worried about damning people, when they should be loving people. That Christian gets so caught up in damnation that they fail to realize the sole purpose of Christ's life. He spoke more on helping the poor and the sick than He spoke on anything else. But that doesn't seem to concern those that are here to love a hurting world.
The world's Christian makes it about the religion, instead of the relationship. The world's Christian is me a lot of the time. As an active member of a church and on a praise and worship team, I rarely live the life that is expected to me. I go to class and become a different person. I point out flaws and speak illy of others. I hurt the world instead of helping it. I rarely build up so that can only mean that I'm tearing down. I'm the hypocrite that so many hypocrites openly speak about. And yet, I'm still shown that grace. It is a much needed grace too. Because if I was to rely on myself then there'd be no hope. I'm holding out for that grace.
Trevor, I think that the hate you speak of is the downfall of all humanity. We get so focused on how we are right that we forget that others have valid points as well. I don't think that this behavior is discouraged by society either. We are taught from an early age to try to find ways in which others are wrong.
ReplyDeleteI have studied many religions, and I cannot say that I have found any that promote hate. What they do promote is loyalty to an idea. I think this is where we as a society begin down the slippery slope to hate. When one is loyal to an idea, we tend to hold the idea that people who do not hold the same loyalties are doing something wrong. I think that the world would be a much better place if we would simply remember that people have different values, and cherish different things.