Humans suffer from clannish thinking. There is a strong tendency to “Us v Them.” We see it in children as they gang up together and among teenagers with the “in-crowd” and the not. When we see it among children, we exhort them to be better than this. Yet it washes into our adult lives. We have sports clubs to which we are fanatically loyal, divide ourselves into mid-westerners and others, and on and on. Worse, we look down on these “others”. Perhaps not with the terrible manners of childhood; but, still it lurks inside and seeps out in our words and actions.
Personally, I wrestle this demon every time I see a person on the street begging for change. My mind says, “If that person were more like me, s/he would not need to be there with that sign…” Not a speck of mercy in me, is there? I do give money away to them and I (sometimes) take the time to ask if our church can meet their need in a more profound way than the loose change in my vehicle. That, however, is not addressing my heart problem. I know because I can still hear my inner voice muttering: if you just made better choices (like me), you wouldn’t be in that position.
Not surprisingly, this is the very attitude that turns away so many from the faith. The most common reason non-believers to whom I have spoken give for not believing? The judgment and hypocrisy of believers. “Be like Christ” they were told — then received behavior that was anything but Christ-like.
Non-believers, surprisingly, have no quibble with the teachings of Jesus. Patience? Kindness? Mercy? Equality? Gentleness? Self-control? Yep. Yep. Yep. They would agree that we should be all these things – in spades. They just don’t find it among the faithful, and so they have turned away from the practice of our faith. They don’t want to be more like us because they find us to not be like Jesus.
The attitude of “they should be more like me/us” is hubris, pride, arrogance. It implies that I have a higher moral ground from which to judge them. Scripture is clear that God reserves judgment for himself. My judging them for their behavior and choices that I don’t agree with? Sin. Unadulterated and unabashed sin. It is this very judgment that the non-believers sense, and from which they run.
So when this thought rises up: if they were just more like us/me, I have to question it. Would I really want them to be more like me? You see, I know me. I know the unkind thoughts that I have and the way my judgmental attitude surfaces. Mind, I also know I can be kind and merciful and joyful. My point is not that I am totally sin-filled. My point is that I AM sinful. I have zero holier ground on which to stand!
I think it is right and good that we lament in prayer over the world and the sorry state in which it finds itself. Old Testament prophets are renowned for just such lamentation. But let us not tack on – either out loud or in our minds – “God make those lost and worldly people more like us.” For you and I, when we do this, are doing two sinful things: holier-than-thou judgement and attempting to usurp a roll God has reserved for himself.
God is a jealous God – He will not share His glory with any. God alone saves. God alone judges.
I have two jobs (only two): point people to Jesus, love like Jesus loved. Neither of those jobs allow room for my human clannishness (we are better than them) or judgment (they should be more like us).
We are all beggars at the foot of God’s throne. Isn’t it good that God’s mercy knows no end?