How World Vision got it right and paid an awful price.
I am a bridge builder, not a bridge burner. And I want to be clear that in breaking from the organized machine known as 'Evengelical Christianity' , I am not breaking ties with my brothers and sisters in Christ who are of this group - many of whom I know would not agree with any of the recent happenings that effectively 'broke the camels back' for me.
The bridge I am burning is one of ideology and treatment of others. Even the closest of Jesus' followers sometimes disagreed with one another's views but did not lose their identities as followers of the Jesus they knew and loved, brothers and children of the same God. They were just in different places in their understanding of Jesus' ministry and purpose. I do not condemn or think it is evil to believe that homosexuality is wrong. What I do have a problem with is the lengths to which many have gone to bring destruction to an entire group of people. And sadly they are the loudest and most powerful.
So, to anyone who accepts the label 'Evangelical Christian', I do not blanketly accuse you of perpetuating destructive ideas and behaving in the ways that have appalled me to the point of distancing myself.
Last week, the child sponsorship organization World Vision was attacked by the EC Machine. I was so ashamed and so sickened by what happened that it severed the fraying thread of loyalty that I was clinging to of the Evangelical world that I grew up with. When the Chick-Fil-A debacle happened two years ago I defended them but also worked to build understanding between the groups at odds because I had ins on both sides and was able to see above the fray a bit. I regularly spar with friends who take to blanketly blasting Muslims for the evil doings of the extremists. Annoying, pisses me off sometimes, it's hypocrisy for Christians to point fingers at Muslims when we have the Holocaust and Crusades at our doorstep, but I get over it. Those are push and shove matches. We dust off and then go have coffee.
But what happened to World Vision (I have had my own problems with WV, so I don't defend them out of loyalty) and the thousands of children affected was IT. I'm sick of the gay bashing. I'm angered by the issue of homosexuality being at the top of the list for the most visible and loudest of Christ's representatives. Jesus didn't seem to make a big deal out of it (he mentions it a total of ZERO times in Scripture) and it detracts from the much-mentioned job of loving neighbor and sharing the love and grace of God. Jesus did not die on the cross to condemn homosexuals (or Muslims or anyone). He died so that we could witness the greatest of all kinds of love - love that only God could fathom or work out.
Last week at least 2,000 needy children were effectively held for ideological ransom. The Machine called 'Evangelicalism' forced World Vision's hand to return to their discrimination against gay people who might wish to join them in their efforts to serve the poorest among us.
Vile. Power Hungry. Hateful.
I wanted to throw up. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and kick and overturn some tables. In my spirit I let it all out....Not only am I sick of the agenda to destroy homosexuals, I'm tired of Jesus being draped in the American Flag as if America was God's Chosen Country. I'm D.O.N.E. DONE with the ignorant science-denying Christianity that forces people to check their brains at the door before entering into conversation and for the love of all that is Holy, I rebuke any image of Jesus that resembles an A-K47 toting Rambo, out for human blood more so than the Prince of Peace.
I borrowed all sorts of words of Jesus' from 'brood of vipers' to 'whitewashed tombs'.
God let me tantrum, Jesus held me while I kicked and screamed. The Holy Spirit rested with me until I was done. I recovered enough to remember that Jesus is the best one to decide who to apply those words to for he is the judge. And a much better, more just, more merciful judge than any human. But they sure felt good to say. I've been keeping them in for some time now. I'm still steaming just under the surface. It will take a while for the bitter taste to leave my mouth. But it will. I will allow the Spirit to heal me and teach me how to love these enemies. Until then I walk on from defending or being a pawn for any ideology that would stoop to such levels.
When more of these stories come across the airways I do not wish for my faith to be lumped with the Evangelical Machine. I do not want anyone to think of me and wonder where I stand on the issue.
I do not follow the way of the destruction of people.
Though I will work to destroy strongholds of fear and hatred even if that means I'm called a heretic, a flaming liberal, a purveyor of a 'false gospel' because if the 'real gospel' would applaud the attack on World Vision then I don't want anything to do with it anyway.
I recently read another blog post that expressed this better than I could have...I will allow that to be my closing....
Blessings to all.
above photo from:
http://www.worldvisionmagazine.com
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