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Christianity Is Back, and You Can Sense It…and So Can We

To our culture and how you’ve been running things:
 
You successfully marginalized our faith from relevance dating back to the 1960s. We felt scolded, actually punished for adhering to Christianity in its original form. You insisted we rebrand and adopt a kinder, softer, gentler approach to faith. Somehow you managed to seduce an entire populace into believing “The Bible isn’t about ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts,’” although we both know it certainly is. One look within its pages can prove the point.
 
“The One and only true God,” you said, came across as narrow-minded, exclusive, and thereby must be substituted with a generalized “Higher Power.” You told us our messaging, such as “Repent and be baptized,” appeared antiquated, outdated. As such, you convinced us to replace it with “Do your best, be a good person, help others,” despite what even our most hostile antagonist Nietzsche could foresee:

 

“One should notice that Christianity has crossed over into a gentle moralism: it is not so much ‘God, freedom, and immortality’ that have remained, as benevolence and decency of disposition, and the belief that in the whole universe too benevolence and decency of disposition prevail: it is the euthanasia of Christianity.”
– 
Friedrich Nietzsche
 
I’m appalled at how many pastors and teachers were happy to oblige.
 
But that’s about to change in the most seismic of ways. Your choke-hold on “the way the world should be” is presently slipping out of your grasp…you’re losing control, and everyone knows it.
 
If your solutions to life’s problems are so right and the Christian faith so wrong, why is our universe so topsy-turvy at present? You can’t blame us, at least not this time. Because we ceded the steering wheel to you long ago, you’ve led us wrong ever since. Christianity is back, and you can sense it, and so can we.
 
Contrary to your opinion, people are starving to hear right versus wrong, either a yes or no; “maybe’s” have grown grossly out of style. (I.e., maybe a verse is true, or maybe it isn’t).  
 
The masses have grown weary trying to navigate their way through your endless mazes of vagueness. Relativism appears to have run its course. This shouldn’t surprise us as humankind was hard-wired for boundaries; we only rest secure knowing where those boundaries lay. A Bible without “yes’s” and “no’s,” “do’s” and “don’ts,” isn’t a Bible at all. I’m pleased people are wising up to the difference; finally. It’s about time.
 
So here’s a head’s up of what to expect. You can’t say we didn’t tell you:


1st
We will offer no more disclaimers for what we believe. Statements such as “we’re sorry, but we happen to believe in the Bible.” Or, “we’re sorry, but we happen to believe in Jesus,” are a thing of the past. Christians tripping over themselves to apologize has always struck me as odd, to begin with, especially considering how faith is to experience Jesus in the most real of ways. Regardless, I feel that you, our culture, are more willing than ever to experience the same. “Come and see for yourself” is what our Faith’s Founder has to say. What’s required is to take a first step towards “a far more excellent way.” (1st Cor. 12:31)

2nd
We promise to be winsome in the sincerest of ways. True Christlikeness means being like Christ, actually. Jesus of Nazareth had the remarkable ability to pair hard truths with unbridled love. In one breath, He could admonish, “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, I will be ashamed of him.” And in the next breath, implore, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and you will find rest for your souls.” Since the Spirit of Jesus abides within us, He has enabled us to do the same. I’m happy to say that winsomeness is back from its long absence. It’s what I believe makes our faith most contagious.

3rd
We’re breaking out of our “holy huddles” and getting back into the fray—shame on us for having retreated from the public sector in the first place. We learned a valuable lesson in the interim: just as a rising tide can lift all ships, Christians can elevate the public discourse. That will only occur by keeping directives like these before us: “Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2nd Cor. 13:11) “Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29)
                                                                                        
4th
We’re changing our ways and finally getting this one right: by living a life of “Please do as we do, not only as we say.” It’s a simple challenge borrowed from Paul, who said, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Our past hypocrisy is inexcusable. We’ve left countless souls lost in our wake. We’re not going to keep handing out excuses for denying Christ due to our lack of Christlikeness. We’re walking to a new tune as of late. Character traits such as honesty, virtue, humility, and agreeableness now define us. From here out, our integrity will be king.

All this to say, it’s a fascinating time in the life of our country. Because although we’ve been out of sight, out of mind for ages, we’re presently coming back into view. Because Christianity is back, and you can sense it, and so can we.
 

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