Some of you are really irritated right now! Did he just say church people suck? How dare he say something like that? That is a very broad statement!
Question. Do you think I could safely say "King cobras are dangerous?" Yes? That's a pretty broad statement! But here's the deal. I understand that there are poisonous snakes that have had their fangs/venom removed, so they aren't dangerous. I get that. I know that there are exceptions. However, I can still make the statement "cobras are dangerous," with a great deal of passion, because based on percentages, I'm absolutely right. Most cobras are dangerous!
Church people suck. I worked in the restaurant industry for several years. I was a waiter and a cook. Guess what the absolute worst shift of the week to work was? SUNDAY AFTERNOON! Around 12:15, the church crowd would come in. They were dressed to the gills, had their hair perfect, and often would carry bibles into the restaurant with them. Then they were mean, demanding, impatient, and didn't tip worth a crap. I have never worked with anyone in the food service industry who has said anything but I HATE WORKING SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
But then we have "tent meetings" and "revival services" and we wonder why people won't come with us! It's because we suck! Such a large percentage of church people are playing religion, and aren't following Christ, that we are destroying our opportunity to love people like Jesus! I know none of us are perfect. And I know from experience that no matter how hard you try, somebody is going to hate you. But we should be hated for our faith, and our life decisions, not because we're impossible to please.
Instead of becoming defensive right now, what if a bunch of us did our best to counter the church culture that has been created. What if we never spoke to a waitress like she was our slave again? What if we smile when she realizes that she hasn't refilled our sweet tea in 45 minutes? What if we clean up the floor when our kid tears up her chicken tenders and throws them on the floor? What if we respectfully tell her our steak is overcooked, instead of acting like it was her fault? What if we tip 20%, even if the service was terrible? What if we laugh it off when she spills a drink on our lap? That waitress may have a sick kid at home, and be totally distracted.
What if, when we go into a grocery store, the cashiers are excited because they know someone is going to be nice to them? What if, even when it's tough, we treat people with respect and real love? What if someone else's pain is always more important than our own?
Often, I'm so consumed with my own little world that I don't see the pain around me. I want what I want when I want it. I might help somebody, as long as it fits into my schedule. I might smile at someone, as long as I'm in the mood. I might laugh something off, as long as I'm not already stressed. Funny thing is, I can't figure out how a cross was ever convenient for Jesus. I don't know how he could ever be in the mood to be tortured and crucified for my problems. Being a church person isn't enough.
What if we actually tried to act like Jesus?
