Day 1135 Tuesday, April 25, 2023

God saw everything he had made, and indeed, it was good.” Too many Christians would have us believe otherwise.

a reflection by Phillip Gulley:

Alice turned me onto this writer - I like what he has to say.

If the Church were really Christian, Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship. We get so hung up on mythic details, magical doctrine and irrational dogma we miss the point: it doesn't matter if Jesus was God, what ever that even means; it matters that we model our lives after his: giving to the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan and the disenfranchised.

If the church were Christian, affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness.

Far too many churches—and far too many Christians—elevate God at the expense of humanity. For God to be good, we humans must be sinners in need of redemption. Guilt, not hope and joy, become the coin of the Christian realm. To affirm our potential is to confirm God’s first pronouncement on humanity—“God saw everything he had made, and indeed, it was good.” Too many Christians would have us believe otherwise.

If the church were Christian, reconciliation would be valued over judgment.

Judgment implies anger, wrath, and vengeance. It suggests faith is a tightrope walk through a minefield, where one misstep can spell our end. Reconciliation entails mercy, compassion, and restoration. That so many churches emphasize judgment over reconciliation demonstrates how far from the ethos of Jesus many Christians have strayed.

If the church were Christian, gracious behavior would be more important than right belief.

The Quaker, William Penn, once wrote, “Creed-making is the beginning of persecution.” Early in the church’s life, it was decided to emphasize belief as the hallmark of Christian life and faith. Shortly after, it became our practice to punish and exclude those persons whose understanding of faith differed from our own. In almost every era since, purity of doctrine has been accomplished at the expense of love.

If the church were Christian, inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers.

The life of faith is an invitation to consider deeply the ultimate meaning and purpose of reality. Such a life should generate thoughtful questions, not rigid, unyielding answers. The vitality of our faith is measured not in our certainty, but in our willingness to seek truth no matter its source. For God is not honored by our unquestioned obedience, but in our determined search for authenticity and meaning.