Doug Giles' latest column brings up some points I've often made with Christians and secularists alike who think people of faith should just sit in the pew with their hands folded and not aggressively confront error.
(Incidentally, this approach is the cowards approach; it isn't a Christ-like approach).
From Giles' column:
When Jesus Christ got injected into the human mix two thousand plus years ago, from the cradle to the cross, He was a lightning rod of controversy. His incarnation heated up the culture war more than O’Reilly could ever dream of doing.
And how about this:
The initial message the Wonderful Counselor preached, according to Dr. Luke’s take, ticked off the crowd He was addressing so thoroughly that they attempted to throw Him off a cliff. He nailed that haughty mob for the crud they were practicing—and He did so publicly. In public. Ouch. Snap! That’s not very “Christian” of Christ.
Seems Jesus wasn't too worried about being "civil," was he?
More truth about Christ:
Today in our radically wussified, politically correct state of bland, we won’t embrace this Christ because He’d so get under our skin.
How would many of today's Christians like the Jesus who walked the Earth 2,000 years ago?
It’s funny that a bunch of churchgoers who worship Jesus probably wouldn’t hire Him to be their pastor today because He was too much of a hellrazer. His solid/ acidic, anti-bovine scatology posture towards politicians, priests, pet sins, oppressors and others who were playing games with God and man equates a resume that most pastoral search committees wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pew.
So what kind of god do many of today's cowardly Christians (and fun-loving secularists) want?
Y’know, most of us forget the above when we see sweet baby Jesus lying in a manger. Because of our rank illiteracy regarding the scripture, our prejudiced and politically correct approach to the Bible that’s custom tailored a Jesus of our own imaginations, we have developed a deep distaste for anything but a bespoke and neutered little “g” god.
What do we need instead? Giles tells us exactly what we need:
My prayer for you and yours, our churches and our nation is that we flush the feckless, Lysol-disinfected, feminine hygiene Jesus we’ve created to mollycoddle our madness and go back to the rowdy Christ that would, lovingly of course, shake us into shape.
As we come to Christmas (not the Santa Claus time, but the time where we celebrate the birth of our Savior as a man), we should remember that he didn't come to Earth simply to be a baby, simply to have us adore this newborn (though we should).
Jesus came to launch an all-out assault on the Kingdom of Darkness, and he didn't worry about "civility" or "moderation" or such pablum. He said the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church, which tells me His Church wasn't passive--it was intended to take the fight to the enemy!
In fact, I do recall this Savior saying in the book of Revelation that he would rather people be either hot or cold, and this mealy-mouthed "moderation" he would spew out of his mouth.
So for the next couple of days, worship Christ the newborn king. We should. The incarnation of our God is a miracle and a wonder worthy of such admiration.
But when the wrapping paper is put away, put on the armor of God, Christian, and start fighting the spiritual warfare you were called to.
Anything less is dereliction of duty.
Merry Christmas!
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