Posted on 06/19/2005 8:52:23 AM PDT by Heartofsong83
Sun, June 19, 2005
What's so scary about Christians?
By Rev. Harry Lehotsky -- Winnipeg Sun
It sent chills up my spine to see the large crew, almost 150 strong. They divided into smaller clusters and systematically moved through the neighbourhood.
It was amazing that mainstream media missed this invasion of our community.
Early last Saturday morning, armed with sharp blades and a variety of potentially hazardous implements, they moved up and down the streets of the West End. Some wore gloves and others donned masks. Using brute force, they laid waste to obstacles.
Cops couldn't keep up -- there were too many of them. Some sported tattoos. Some had long hair, some shaved heads. There were young and old, from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Fortunately, this was no ordinary street gang, no clump of chumps, no organized syndicate of criminals.
Instead it was a very visible outpouring of love for our community by about 150 people from the suburban Grant Memorial Baptist Church. They even came wearing colours. White T-shirts with a stylized heart graphic and the words "Love Winnipeg" emblazoned on their chests. And they worked hard, along with local community residents from "Wellington Alive," in a community clean-up and barbecue.
Two weeks ago, several rock bands associated with this movement put on some free concerts in our theatre on Ellice.
For the past several weeks roughly 3,000 people from about 70 Christian churches and agencies in Winnipeg hit the streets in unconditional service to their city. Nationally, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has challenged and co-ordinated more than 30,000 people to engage in "acts of kindness" in their communities.
The streets and back lanes will get messy again. The weeds will grow back. Dumpsters will overflow again. Trash will blow around the street.
But something good happened last Saturday. Myths were dispelled and preconceptions disproved.
As I watched the crews dispatched throughout the neighbourhood, I couldn't help but think of some of the recent swipes taken at evangelical Christians in the media.
What's with all the angst about "evangelicals," "socially conservative Christians," or "born-againers?"
Their harshest opponents grudgingly extend them the right to keep breathing. But, beyond that most basic of rights, they are consistently hammered for any attempt to exercise the rights regularly claimed by their critics.
Some "objective" journalists have no difficulty with the most strident pro-abortion, euthanizing, pro-gay activists. But they recoil in horror when someone dares to take their pro-life, pro-traditional-family convictions out of the closet. The democratic right to influence policy is defended for the former, while castigated for the latter.
Absurd thinking
I think it's absurd that some try to convince us that it's less scary to be politically corrupt than socially conservative. Even more worrisome, however, is the number of folks who parrot the nonsense.
Maybe it's the persistence of evangelicals that's scary. I suppose there are folks who take offence at the fact that these Christians won't just shut up and get lost. These folks defy any attempt to keep them down, and have, to this point, resisted every effort to wipe them out or negate their influence.
Perhaps it's their level of dedication that's scary. Throughout their history they have accepted prison, persecution and a wide variety of other penalties as a risk associated with their lifestyle. Financially, they have founded and funded countless ministries with generosity that is as overwhelming as it's understated.
Perhaps it's their desire to respect a supposedly "outdated" ethic that's scary. According to some reports, these Christians have formed a carefully organized syndicate, poised to topple governments and revamp the entire social order.
Their founder was accused and killed for His supposedly egregious anti-government, sub-cultural subversion of the establishment in His day.
Maybe it's their insistence on sharing their faith that scares some folk. They are chastised for their use of religious terminology and terms like Heaven and hell, sin and righteousness, salvation and born-again.
Keep in mind that, from their perspective, it would be disrespectful to keep a secret of the best thing that's ever happened to them.
In their minds, silence regarding eternal salvation would be even worse than someone who had the cure for AIDS but refused to share it for fear of offending someone.
In the end, I guess it's their refusal to stay "in the closet" that offends people.
In a day when so many are celebrating the end of their confinement, I'm tired of the "open-minded" folk who keep trying to stuff evangelicals in the closets they've vacated.
So, in many ways, last Saturday's community service was a "coming out" party for people who believe their faith is about more than issues, whose walk is as important as their talk.
On the day of my conversion about 30 years ago, I dropped the belief that my faith was a private affair. I determined my faith would not be confined to a closet -- or a church.
I'm a real live, born-again, evangelical Christian. Not bashful. Not embarrassed by the term "salvation." Not ashamed of the name "Jesus."
No difficulty admitting I'm a sinner. Not bashful accepting, celebrating or sharing the good news of God's love and forgiveness for those who can admit they're guilty and accept his offer of salvation.
I won't hide my belief in eternity. I accept the scriptural assertion that the only one way to live with God in eternity is to maintain a relationship with him in this life.
That faith informs and energizes our love for our community.
The next time you hear someone peddling an irrational fear of evangelicals, check out our walk, not just their talk.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Excellent! May he stay strong.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1415804/posts here was the controversial anti-Christian comment from the Free Press a couple weeks ago...
Good article.
They remind everyone that we are sinners, and without Christ's redemption, we are going to hell.
Hmm...so, Christians can be there as long as they refuse to win on any issue that disagrees with liberals? Ha!
I'm surprised they didn't call out the Mounties to beat the c**p out of those dangerous criminals. In the U.S., they use tanks, sharpshooters, and gas. Followed by fire and NO firetrucks.
Or maybe they despise the SELF-righteousness of people who claim to be His follower and smugly condemn everyone else to hell, as if the decision was theirs.
Just a thought.
"Or maybe they despise the SELF-righteousness of people who claim to be His follower and smugly condemn everyone else to hell, as if the decision was theirs.
Just a thought."
Isn't it interesting how what's stated in the Bible gets a reaction like this?
Saved sinners are not self righteous and smug.
They're grateful and feel sorry for those who are not.
When someone doesn't believe, they will go to hell. It's just the way it is. Belief is a CHOICE!
Exactly.
``Don't ask us to absorb a business that directly contrasts with our moral beliefs,'' said Brett Blankenship, manager of the Wood You Furniture shop, located next to the bar.
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBMI140V8E.html
Great post. Great article.
Why should a Christian endorse something that is AGAINST their beliefs ?
Doesn't make sense to me ... .
Unless it makes the unsaved feel better?
Gee, that leads us back to square one.
The beliefs of a Christian are not the same as those who chose NOT to be Christians. Oh well ... .
Nothing wrong with that.
Perhaps YOU are the one with the problem?
Yeah, I can't buy that anybody would think of Baptists as 'scary"
Since that article was in mid-May, did, or has, the county government reached a decision to permit the bikini bar to open?
"Perhaps YOU are the one with the problem?
"
There is a backlash against Christian involvement with government. YOU (and those in the article) are a good example of why.
This is a great testimony! I loved it!!
CANADA .. You're getting a visitation from the Creator of the Universe .. I'll pray that you will notice and accept his invitation.
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