The Litabug Phlog

I’ve seen recently a few caricatures of Christians in the media. Some are exaggerated to the point of being ludicrous, others are probably too accurate. I don’t blame the writers of these caricatures. I’ve had too many friends who were turned away from interest in Christ by the actions of Christians themselves. Humanity is destructive. We hurt others and ourselves through anger, violence, pride, greed, and sometimes “lighter” things like irresponsibility, thoughtlessness, self-centeredness and elective ignorance. Christians do more harm to the message of God’s sacrificial mercy than we realize when we wrap it up with political, cultural, personal, and even religious embellishment. Each generation reacts against the modes of the previous one, creating new, equally ridiculous fashions. We are too proud and self-destructive to just let Christ be who He says He is and leave it at that. Or I should say take it at that.

Easter is approaching. I hope the truth of Christ will burn through the rags Christians have wrapped it in. His truth is still true and of infinite importance. God created us free, we chose against Him, and instead of holding it over our heads for eternity (or wiping us out entirely), He offered us the solution at great cost to Himself. It’s nothing to be proud of. It’s everything to be thankful for.

“Alas, alas!
Why, all the souls that were were forfeit once;
And He that might the vantage best have took
Found out the remedy. How would you be,
If He, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you as you are? O, think on that;
And mercy then will breathe within your lips,
Like man new made.” –Isabella, Measure for Measure

“All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell terribly afraid of it,
while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.” –Oswald Chambers

“[God] is not proud…He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him.” –C.S. Lewis