When you ‘loose’ Christ

A quote from a recent debate I had…

…”However, I know for a fact you won’t recede your argument anytime soon. As someone who was in exactly the same position you are in 20 years ago, (your age, sir?) It’s very hard to let go of faith, especially when it’s reinforced by the family. In the end, we all have to decide for ourselves what is ‘real’ when it comes to faith. Personally, my faith in God went out the window on 911, and every excuse I’ve heard from religious types on the subject since that day has been woefully inadequate. 
Maybe you’ll get to the stage in your life when the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” just isn’t good enough anymore.”

The debate, which ironically didn’t start off as a debate, was about homosexuality. The original post on this message board was a youtube video of some family in the southern US that used the majority of it’s time executing ‘hate crimes’ in the name of God. I use the term hate crime loosely here, but for what it’s worth that’s what they were doing. Literally picketing anything imaginable with signs stating God’s hatred for those in a homosexual lifestyle, God’s hatred for America and where it’s going; and praising the death of soliders in Iraq because it’s a sign of God’s hand of justice on the US.

What got me personally involved in this debate was not the fact that I am 1 of 2 Christians on this message board, nor was it that these people were bashing Christianity, but it was because this family on the video were homeschoolers. That’s right folks, homeschoolers.

This family of many children (I forget the exact number) also home churched with a few other people. In fact it was the grandfather of this family that started this church and the hate movement he started. So we’re even seeing the playing out of the multi-generational principle. I merely wished to show the rest of the members on the board that I am a Christian, unashamedly so, but I have no tolerance for attitudes like that. Naturally this went head long into the infamous “so why do you think homosexuality is wrong? isn’t it just love?” debate.

But the quote I placed up top really gripped me. You see the majority of the responses were either attempted one sentence debate smashers (which failed) or mindless profanity or the accusation of ignorance in Christians in general. This man had been a Christian once, is coming from a Christian heritage yet he has left without a doubt any trace of following God. In fact he’ll be the first to tell you he’s an Atheist.

In a sense, he lost Christ. Rather, he lost the Christ he assumed he was following. Circumstances and events took place that shattered his worldview and no one could give him an adequate answer besides, “God works in mysterious ways.” That phrase is a cop-out for non-believers cloaked as Christians to make other non-believers stay within Christianity.

There is nothing mysterious for God to tell us, “You’re slipping.” There is nothing we can’t comprehend behind a warning that we are as a whole removing God from our country and then wonder why He doesn’t protect us. We wonder why we can’t react unified or correctly when these bad things happen. Have we forgotten that is by a broken and contrite heart God will accept us?

I believe this man had ‘lost’ Christ because his Christ was not powerful enough to stop these things from happening, nor able to tell him why. He sought for an answer and he did not use 9/11 as an excuse to leave Christianity, it’s just that all he was left with was blind faith in a weak God that allows bad things to happen for no reason.

All of this I believe is summed up when Christ is talking with the 12 during the last supper, and He talks about Him leaving. Allow me write down John 14 (some verses omitted) for you and help create the scene:

“In My Father’s house there are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Philip said to Him, “Show us the Father, Lord.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I can only imagine the sorrow, the eagerness and the suspense that Thomas and Philip had as they responded to Him. Here is their Master, their Lord, saying that He is going to go away and that’ they can’t come with Him. They ask Him where is He going, if they can’t find Him they can’t find the way, and Jesus responds by saying that He is the way! You follow Him you follow the way to God. They then go on to say show us the Father then, Lord. If you’re the way, show us God. Again Jesus tells them that He is God, He is in God and God is Him.

I can only imagine Jesus looking back into Philip’s eyes with an equal amount of eagerness by saying, “Philip have you not been with me all this time?! Haven’t I told you these years that if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.”

When we loose our way, when we loose sight of things that keep us on the road with God, when that circumstance occurs in which we cannot understand or explain away why, look to Him.

My friend on this message board sought answers, but did not seek Jesus. Jesus is the answer, He is the way, He is the life. No man comes onto the Father except through Him.

And greater things than this shall he do.