We received a solicitation for donation recently. In order to stir up our passion and cause us to open our bank account to them, the solicitor assured us that the foundation of their faith was [pick the religious/political topic du jour].
Well, we decided right there that this Christian organization was not going to be the beneficiary of any more of our money.
You see, the foundation of our faith is Jesus. We are followers of Jesus who lived, died, and lived again.
I know, that’s too simple for some people to understand. They want more rules. More ways to separate “us” from “them”.
In the eyes of that organization, I am proudly “them”.
They hit me just as I was studying Paul’s advice about how to live in community as a follower of Jesus.
Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hinderance in the way of another.
I ask and pray daily, why do we continue to do these things? Why keep trying to divide? Why put stumbling blocks and obstacles in front of people? Do they think that more people will become followers because of such hard-hearted attitudes? Or, do they care more about making points than living with-God?
The early church grew because people looked around and said, “I want what they’ve got.” Today, people look at the Christians who get all the publicity and say, “I don’t want that.”
The question is not “do you agree with me” but rather “how can I serve you.”
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 