Originating from a culture obsessed with sin and brokenness, sayings like this continue to infect the collective Christian consciousness through a steady stream of everything from self-annihilating Sunday sermons to sadly ironic bumper stickers, t-shirts and internet memes. Proofs of this self-loathing have become a badge of honor of sorts - viewed, liked, shared, and re-shared every day by some of the most popular Christian pages online like Facebook’s Jesus Daily with over 25 million fans who reply with their own manifestos of self-destruction: I am broken. I am worthless. I am weak. I am a sinner. I deserve nothing. I am nothing. THIS IS SELFICIDE! Are there any mantras more deplorable, more dehumanizing or more damaging to the human psyche than those flippantly tossed about in everyday conversation from one believer to another? To speak, somehow joyfully, of a life without meaning or worth? Is there a more harmful message for our children, spouses, or neighbors? If you repeat these words often enough, they are bound to become true. Is it any great surprise that there appears to be a strong correlation between Christian culture and the number of self-help titles lining the shelves of local bookstores? Of course, Christians normally add the awe-inspiring “without Jesus” to the end of these phrases, somehow making them... What, better? Less harmful? Less meaningful? No! The very first requirement of Christianity is to believe that you are a weak, worthless, and broken sinner. How else would you be completely wowed by a savior that would die just for you! Worthless, pathetic you! If you aren’t convinced that you have a disease, what’s the point in looking for a cure? (The threat of a wrathful God and eternal damnation doesn’t hurt.) Unfortunately, it is actually Jesus who wants you to become “lesser and lesser” to begin with! To bow at His feet, to cower in His presence - just like His Father. Though, somehow Jesus (God 2.0) is much better at making you believe that it’s all your fault to begin with. Personally. Sure, He has come to save you - just as long as you first agree how great He is and admit just how insignificant and guilty you are! It’s your fault that He had to die on that cross! He is greater, you are lesser, it’s your fault. Period. Now that almost seven years have passed since I left full-time ministry, my thoughts have become clearer and I find it quite difficult to imagine the true psychological harm that I helped inject into otherwise happy lives - all under the guise of sharing the “Good News” - spreading mixed messages laced with heavy doses of sinfulness, brokenness, bigotry, hatred, worthlessness, superstition, and divine intuition. Of course, this was always quite subversive, certainly never intentional - the real focus being on leading people to better life through Christ! These people didn’t know what they were missing! They didn’t realize how broken they were! They needed Jesus to save them! He loved them, no matter what! This illustration of scripture (along with MANY others) can be found in our brand-new Volume #2: awkwardmomentsbible/order/ Cheers, - Horus Gilgamesh
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 15:23:21 +0000
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