I May Be the Reason Christianity's Not Growing in North America

Many who study our movement offer both theories and data which help explain why Christianity struggles in North America, while it grows and thrives in many places on the continents of Africa, Asia, and South America.  While exercise-walking and listening to some music of our faith yesterday morning, I experienced some conviction about this.  The Holy Spirit invited me to take a look at my life as a Jesus-follower.  Specifically, I thought about how much time I have spent defending causes, taking positions on push-button issues, arguing for this position or that position, and pointing out the flaws in someone else' position.  I felt compelled to compare this with the amount of time I have taken to choose to love someone first, to let God's grace come first, and to let my first concern be introducing someone to the living, saving presence of Jesus.  The rest of the walk was humbling.  I'm afraid there may be other church folks in North America like me; more issue-driven than mission-driven.

Jesus-followers of all stripes fill up social media with saber-rattling over the placement of the Ten Commandments in courthouses, same-gender marriage, whether the Confederate battle flag is heritage or racism, and who knows what else.  I'm not saying it's not important to know where we've been called to stand and to stand there faithfully.  But what if all the energy we've spent on these and other battlefields had been put into loving the least and the last, and humbly evangelizing all the lost?

I don't know the answer.  All I know is the lyrics of the song that convicted me yesterday morning:

"Jesus, Friend of Sinners"  (Casting Crowns)

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name, but the sword was never ours to swing.
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see.
The world is on their way to you, but they're tripping over me;
Always looking around but never looking up, I'm so double-minded,
A plank-eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided.

(Chorus)  Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners,
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointed fingers.
Let our hearts be led by mercy,
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors.
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our heart for what breaks yours.

Jesus, friend of sinners, the who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands.
Help us to remember we are all the least of these.
Let the memory of your mercy bring your people to their knees.
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded.
What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and loved like you did...

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast,
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that you came.
Lord, I was that lost cause and I was the outcast,
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at your feet....

Again, we are a unique people; not better than the world, but not defined by the values and structures of the world.  Yes, there are stands that will be taken.   But Jesus didn't suffer and die on the cross to promote causes.  He did so to love, embrace, heal, and transform human beings - all human beings.  The Body of Christ's mission of loving like Jesus did and making disciples is greater than any one issue at a specific point in history.  At our church, our lead pastor, Aaron Brown, talks about us being a mission-driven church, not an issue-driven church.  That's the kind of movement of which I want to be a part.  And I think the Holy Spirit reminded me of that yesterday morning.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.  (Be careful - lots of rain this week, and the rivers are up!)