RGNC Sunday editorial

My beef today? False advertising. From whom you might ask? Well, from people who sell Jesus as the do all fix it guy who comes along and makes your life perfect and painless. I've heard it for years: "accept" Jesus and He will give you a brand new start in life. And if by chance you wake up 6 months down the road and things are not yet perfect, well then, its probably your own fault because you haven't believed enough.

I have a new criteria for who I will listen to tell me about Jesus Christ, and its fairly simple. Unless the person has questioned, challenged, tried to bribe, gotten angry with, shaken the fist at, and blamed God; walked around dazed and confused, bled profusely from being beaten by life, wondered about his own sanity, and at least tried to give up a time or two...well, if they don't meet these requirements, I will not listen to them. Take it somewhere else. Jesus was a man well aquainted with our sorrows and I can't think that He wants us to lie about "living the good life".

I read a story once about a Christian in Russia being asked by another Christian who had been in the gulag for a while, "You're a Christian?" "Yes, I am" "Well, then why aren't you dead?" Cut to the chase: All of the 12 Apostles except St. John were killed. Do we really think were going to get a better deal than they did just because we live in America? And when life is still broke and it doesn't clean up as easy as the guy on tv said, people who were sold the false adverstising end up blaming Jesus!

And no, I am not saying life is all sorrow and trouble without any joy. My next editorial gripe might be about the grace stealers who insist on misery. But thats another story for another day.

I have said my piece.