Churches, We Have To Start Talking About It

It’s hard in the world today. We are still in the midst of a global pandemic, the light is still shining on racial injustice, people seem to be divided in every single thing, really the list goes on and on. So how do we talk about these things? And why isn’t the Church talking about them? 

Well, we are going to take a dive into that. 

Lately I’ve been struggling a lot with organized religion. I don’t blame people when they say they can’t stand it or they don’t trust it. It makes sense. It’s hard to feel connected and welcomed in those environments. Which is sad because a Church should be the place that is welcoming and comfortable. 

Recently my Church took on a sermon series that was “looking through the current events with a Christian lens” I was originally super excited about it. I thought we would be talking about important topics that as followers of Christ we shouldn’t be shying away from. Boy was I wrong. 

Yes, we started talking about things that are hot topics, but it was coming across all wrong. The US history was being stated through a white-washed view. If you don’t know that the history books leave out a lot of information then please talk to an historian, go to a museum, go find out. 

Another thing I’ve noticed is that it’s becoming this thing of “well, your sin is forgiven and you are welcome here, but only if you fit into our mold”. Guys, this cannot continue. Yes, we can have different opinions, but there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. 

This is something that I feel a lot of people have a hard time with because there is a difference between having different opinions and not being decent to each other. Everyone is guilty of blurring that line. 

We need to try our best to remember that. 

But the way of avoidance is NOT the answer, that much I do know. If we continue to avoid things, it makes it worse. If you just try to avoid a health issue will it go away? No, odds are it will get worse. 

That’s what I find so frustrating about how many churches are handling this time. It seems that we are picking and choosing what we want to address, and the reality of it is, most the time it’s about the things that are comfortable to the congregation. 

For example; the church loves to talk about how wrong it is to be gay or transgender. Now hear me out before you exit this page. WHY??? Yes, you may be thinking that “well, it’s wrong”. Did you know that the passage in the bible that talks about “a man shall not lie with man” was translated? And the original text it actually said child? 

It’s super important to remember that we do not have the original text, in Hebrew. Also, I can’t even read or speak Hebrew, can you? It’s important to read about translations and how it might have changed. Especially when it’s not in the writings of coming from Jesus directly. 

Now the issue of gay marriage and loving who you wnat to love is one that many congregations stay at because people feel comfortable talking about how it’s wrong. Again, do we really know? Maybe, we should love and let God decide. After all, that is the greatest commandment, right? Love thy neighbor as thyself. 

And I’m not even going to get too into detail about how we have separation of church and state for a reason. Okay, I am a little… 

Even if you disagree with it why in the world would the government be able to dictate who should and shouldn’t be allowed to marry. That is crazy, that’s against what America stands for. We live in the land of the free and that should apply to people in the LBGTQ+ community as well. 

While Chrisianity is the main religion in the United States, it isn’t the official religion of the country, so we need to stop acting like it. 

Now why can’t churches talk about racial injustice? The country is hugely segregated on Sunday mornings. Think about it, how diverse is your church? You’re answer is probably the same as mine, not very diverse. 

This is a problem because PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED! Which is something all Christians should be against. 

We also need to take a step back and realize that maybe we don’t know what we are talking about. We haven’t experienced the kinds of things our brothers and sisters of color have. It’s okay. It doesn’t make you a bad person, but we need to try. 

This isn’t about wanting to “make white people feel shame”, it seems to be about wanting an understanding that there is a problem and we need to help be part of the solution. 

Now you might be thinking “well some of the people shot during traffic stops have history of drugs or small crimes”... Does that mean they deserved to be killed? 

Think back to your entire life, there’s no mistake you ever made that now you’re like “man shouldn’t have done that”. People make mistakes, tons of people smoke pot, do very questionable things in their youth. That doesn’t necessarily make you, me, or them bad people. It makes us human in a sinful world. 

What I can tell you though, it absolutely doesn’t mean that anybody deserves to die for it. 

Yes, this can be a super uncomfortable conversation for churches, especially predominantly white churches. But these conversations need to be had. 

Growth can be uncomfortable, but it’s needed. Don’t we all want to be better people than we used to be? Isn’t that the goal? Understanding others and listening to them is never a bad thing. Acknowledging a problem and trying to find a solution doesn’t mean you have your own race or your country. Nothing in this world is perfect and that’s okay. We just need to work together to build a better future. 

Don’t think change cannot happen, it can, we just have to invite it in. 

Change happens within you, your heart, your family, your community.