I was reading over Blue Like Jazz again, and I swear that book is God speaking directly to me.
Nevertheless, it made me passionate about something again.
And NO, it's not Christianity.
In fact, I can't stand Christianity. Like he says in the book, if you stopped ten random people in the street and asked them to tell you what Christianity is, you would get ten different responses. I cannot and do not identify myself with "Christianity", rather, I identify myself with JESUS.
So many people have bitterness and anger toward Christianity, and I don't blame them. People who are hypocrites, churches that are legalistic (dos and don'ts), or churchs that are all about money. Look at the preachers on T.V.-that is what Christianity has become to the everyday person.
I don't want to sit around and talk about Christianity to someone who doesn't know why I believe what I believe. I want to talk about Jesus, how He is alive, real, and how I came to know He loves me and wants to me get to know Him.
That is the very truth that changes lives, it's not church pews and cool songs with up to date web pages. Those things are fine and dandy, but that's not why I believe what I believe.
To the world, it's no wonder we all look like hypocrites. A "Christian" can't smoke, drink, swear, or watch bad movies. If we do, we must be liars and hypocrites who put on an act because we went to Sunday school or we want to belong to a group.
Even though Christian means the same thing, I'd rather call myself a Jesus-follower.
I don't party every weekend because of Jesus, not because I think it's wrong. It doesnt' matter if my church thinks it's wrong. It doesn't matter if my mom or my friends think it's wrong.
I don't have sex with the people I date because of a lot of logical reasons, but also because I am in a relationship with Jesus, He is my best friend and knows what is best for me. He knows it's not best for me to do that until I'm married to the man I love.
My point is that Jesus is not what turns people off to Jesus, it's Christianity and what we've done with it.
By being legalistic and saying our religion is about doing things and not doing things, we've made ourselves nothing but hyrpocrits and people who feel obligation.
By hating church but going because we "know we're supposed to", we've made ourselves a religion and deleted the relationship.
We've recently taken the relationship with Christ and made it into a cliche and another way of saying "obligation to do things."
I go to church because Jesus changed my life, He is alive and He loves me. I go to church because I want to. Just like going to a best friends wedding. It's a celebration.
I read my Bible because it's the clearest way to know what Jesus wants me to know and understand. I eat it up like a toddler with ice cream. I'll eat it up until I get sick. Like a boyfriend off to war reading a love letter from his special girl. I will read it over and over and keep it close to me. Not because I have to.
Christianity is damaging Jesus's message.
And that angers me.
All done.
