IF I WERENT CHRISTIAN

I did not forget the 'A' in the title, I think its superfluous, much like I think 'good' is in the phrase, 'God give us Christian Homes' is. I am severely worried and yes, this is worse than very worried. I understand how its ok to represent wrongly but when people begin to make a career out of it, it worries me......severely!

Christians the world over should have something in common and that is faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ who came to the world to die for their sins. This is becos God is just (oh yes He is!) and demands that every sin pay its wages, which is death. So, to satisfy Him, and His loving requirements, Jesus died in each person who accepts him's place. More than this though is that Christians are Christ-like and the first time they were so called, it was becos base (lowly, local, unlearned,uneducated-take your pick!) men behaved themselves with such dignity and wisdom and open-mindedness that those who saw them, took knowledge (I love KJV) that they had been with Jesus. 

Now my worry is based on the fact that today's Christians seem to never have been with Jesus. They speak a lot of what is in the bible (Christianese) but lack the power to make anyone understand who He is or what He is about. Now please dont get me wrong, I am not sitting atop a high bench pronouncing judgement, I am as guilty as we all are but I have a need to self-flagellate becos everyone else seems to have found the Christian faith & Christians a good target on which to practice their criticism aim. Why not me? I know more, I am an insider and I am involved (again, Ojukwu's words in a manner of speaking!). So if I werent Christian, what would I say to me about how Christians look today?

Jesus (as I learnt from the bible, I werent{?} there) was born at a time and place where worship was very important, yet he eschewed any form of worship. Am thinking, do you think he was crazy or knew something we didnt. To look at Christians today, you would think no one of us Christians ever read of Jesus refusing adulation, taking on simplicity. Newsflash-demanding respect, adulation or worship does not make you Christlike. And no, you are not absolved just cos you did not ask for it! What is needful is to live in such a manner that no-one feels a need to heap such praise , respect or worship on you that they set you up to fail, cos God has to demonstrate in you, that the excellency of the power is of HIM......jes saying!

Jesus, even though He lived during a period of time (and place) when women were to be seen and not heard, had many women friends and enablers. Yes! I said it! And I dont care what you say, this is what I read in my own bible! And no! I didnt say girlfriends which is probably what you heard if you are up in arms already! I said enablers, either as someone needing His help or ministering to Him. And even more amazing is that the Holy Spirit who is usually said to be responsible for driving men to write the bible (?), made them write it down. 

Looking at Christians today, you could not guess that women are humans. There is almost no distinction between how Christian and non-Christian men treat the women in their lives. The same callous unfeeling use is made of the 'helpers of destiny' and even sometimes, you find non-Christians teaching wonderful lessons to Christians. Who did we say had been with Jesus? Should those we regard as not having the knowledge (of God?) that we do, not find something to learn from us? To make the world a better place? Newsflash- if your most basic relationships do not testify that you know the One who is described as love, dont even bother opening your mouth to say it! yes! Shut it!

Now, the crux of the matter, money, wealth, prosperity....you know what I am talking about. Jesus lived simply but outstandingly. He hadnt a lot but that which he had was unique and valuable. I am so sick and tired of Christians making out like Jesus amassed wealth. I watched incredulously as someone who presides (han han Nike! presides ba wo?) over a congregation and supposedly feeds them spiritual food opined that Jesus was not a poor man (and I agree) and then went on to say He (Jesus) had an accountant who took care of his resources to justify his ostentatious lifestyle....talk about Holy crap! What toilet cleaner is he smoking? Make no mistake, I am not being disrespectful of either his person or office even though he asks for it badly but which Jesus have these lot been with? 

From my bible, I find that Jesus had no money to pay his taxes at a time, asking a disciple to go fish for it in the mouth of a fish, no less. He had not enough money to feed multitudes at a  private lecture that He gave in the wilderness, but borrowed a little boy's lunch and paid back with interest after he'd fed the multitude. I read that he wore one robe on the day He was crucified that was so cool, Roman soldiers decided not to ruin it by splitting it in half but cast lots (wager,bet-take your pick!) for it. 

Many will say He died to give us life, He was poor so we could be rich and I understand but if all that is true, we will have a different name too, we would not need to be known as Christ-like. We could be Christ-opposite or something. I love the good things of life but like Apostle Paul, I will not have my liberty be a stumbling block for ANYONE. As Christians, we owe a duty to show the world a picture of heaven in how we relate and I daresay a lot of us are well able to stand until we have to take a stand. Being rich does not consist of wealth/money and properties. I have so learnt from reading the bible. Jesus talks about not serving God and Mammon and asks who will commit true riches into your hands if you are unfaithful in these things. This immediately makes me understand that His definition of wealth is not material but human,or why did he ask His disciples to come and be fishers of men?

The closed-mindedness of Christians nowadays is another thing and shows up most clearly in their homophobia. And please, spare me the theatrics, I dont much care how you feel about what I am saying in the sense of where I will end up for taking this stance. I do know whom I believe and neither need nor crave your validation for my faith, it rests solely in God so, quit already! I am amazed (I know you say I shouldnt use that word that way but I have said my English language skills are limited, get used to it!) when people who claim to be Christians (deliberate use of the word, claim) feel strongly enough abourit to expend energy in the form of hate and condemnation on those who are or they suspect to be. 

Who was it who said again that 'He who is without sin should cast the first stone?'. I forget is why. Or the One who says that if you do not love your brother whom you see, dont even waste time saying you love God cos He's abstract enough that you can miss out on how to love Him. Jesus would be scandalized to hang around any of us Christians of today is my reasoning and that worries me for I thought if we were like Him, He would recognize Himself in our faces when we see but noooo, He probably wont oh! What with all the rich, grand, (or is it grandstanding?) holy(?), servant-making, demon-validating, ass-kissing, bigoted folk showing up for church today. Do any of us even vaguely resemble people who would cause demons to fall down without our saying a word?

Answer the question in your own free time, dont wanna know. And if you are not Christian, I am not interested in your response either (different from your comments oh!), its a family matter and if you are not one of us, you have no right to be making noise about our family matter. I wish! Oh! How I wish we knew God's mind for each one of us and how we fall His hand when we become clones of the wrong sort and I do mean by ideas, dressing, ideology, outlook, and lifestyle-that cloying uniformity and sameness that can never be what God intended for any one of us for I know how much He likes variety...look around at nature & learn! I will address those who are not family on this matter another day, some other time, when I have adjusted my lookalike meter just enough that He can recognize me............