The world is a scary place and it seems like each passing day it gets harder to be a Christian in the United States. We as Christians are being painted in society as hypocrites who are highly judgmental and full of hate towards anyone who doesn't believe the way we do. As I see post after post on the internet and read people's comments, I am sad to say I see tons of Christians reinforcing the world's view of us. Christians are writing how this group of people will burn in hell or how God hates them. When I read the Bible I see Jesus showing love to EVERYONE! He is spending time with the social outcasts and groups of people who would have been hated by the Jewish Rabis at the time. He is full of grace and love. This doesn't mean he doesn't tell them they need to change, but he first loves and shows them a better way.
This month my co-teacher and I taught a lesson on how mean matters. The students wrote the word mean on a piece of paper with toothpaste. Then once they were finished they tried to get all the tooth paste back in the tube. It is impossible and the clean white paper is never the same again. We explained how this activity is just like when you are hurtful to someone else or say something that you shouldn't say. Once you put the tooth paste on the paper it could never be truly clean again, just like when you do or say something harmful, you can never make things go back to the way it was in your relationship. We as Christians need to take a long hard look at our actions and words. What kind of impact are we making on those around us for the kingdom?
