The world thinks a Christian looks like you

Anglican worship is full of symbolism…everything we see, say and do is intended to convey a special spiritual meaning. When we stand, sit or kneel; the colors of the vestments, hangings and even the flowers; the lyrics and tempo of the music; etc., etc., etc. are all meant to “say something special”. To us the symbols seem fairly obvious and most people do, in fact, easily figure out what is being “said” without ever being told.

Occasionally, however, we have someone ask what something means, and I always ask, “What do you think it might mean?” The answers I get are sometimes so far off that I think we need to spend a lot more time explaining what all the symbols are intended to say. Symbols have no meaning unless they are understood.

I like to explain symbols by holding up a piece of red paper and asking what it means. Of course it doesn’t mean anything…it’s just a piece of red paper. Then I place a piece of yellow paper, with three circles down the center, the top circle is cut out so you can see through it, and the other two circles are colored in black. Then I place the yellow paper (with the three circles) on top of the red paper and ask what it means. Everyone then says that it means stop, because they can now recognize it as a traffic light. In other words, symbols have specific meanings in certain contexts.

Whether we like it or not our lives symbolize to the world what a Christian looks like. If we claim to be a Christian, our neighbors and friends expect us to be different. Oh, that it was always true! Too often people claim one thing but live another. People are looking (and I believe hoping) that they will see something special that will give their own lives meaning. But, if they can’t see that we are any different, they will lose hope and continue their search. I feel that the fascination in this country with astrology, witchcraft, channeling and other new age practices, spiritism, transcendental meditation, etc. is directly attributable to their conclusion that there is nothing “exciting or miraculous” to be found in Christianity. Too many people that claim to be a Christian have become chameleons…blending into every situation rather that living as a “light on a hill”. Additionally, many people that claim to be Christians are perpetually judgmental and bring their bad mood wherever they might be.

The United States is thought of as a Christian country by most of the world. They probably have concluded this because of the widely reported statistics that 85%+ of Americans claim to be Christians. When they look at our movies and listen to our songs they must wonder if the moral standards portrayed are those of Christianity. Several Muslims have argued that America is morally bankrupt and that Christianity has failed in America. What should be our response to such accusations?

The problem is so pervasive that it would be easy to lose hope that the situation might be reversed. Where would we begin…what could we do? Learn from history! Every major outpouring of the Holy Spirit has begun with focused and persistent prayer. Our community has been sensing God’s “revival Sprit” stirring in our midst. Other communities have already begun along this path. Let us all join together and pray…forgive us Lord, renew us Lord, transform us Lord make us holy!