In many Christian circles the word “acceptance” makes parishioners squirm in their pews. It’s that dirty word that is up there with “tolerance.” Yet recently I have had a bit of an epiphany as I was listening to the words of a local yoga guru.
All the world wants from you, Christian, is to belong.
We have torn down, condemned, broken, and killed the lost for far too long. We forget that when we look at others, we are still looking at an image of God. Acceptance is the way of grace. It is the only way to regain any chance of showing Christ to nonbelievers. When we remove our personal need to “convert” from the equation, then we can love with a heart of sincerity. Yet don’t think it stops there. We accept and yet we strive. Our works are in the striving for good in our friends and in us. The reflection that you will reveal will draw people to you and then to the Creator.
And hopefully love will cover the multitude of sins that have been infecting the behavior of the church for so many generations.
Thanks for the thought, Bethany. This one’s been tough for me. I’ve too often erred on the side of wanting to be sure my “image” is upheld, forgetting that Jesus was the guy who hung out with the marginalized and despised. Quite the challenge- to remove the need to convert and simply love like Jesus. Great stuff.
I understand. I grew up with the teaching that I should feel guilty if I don’t use every opportunity to convert those who are not Christians. But the freedom to love and invest sincerely in others was released once I removed the guilt and began to simply share life with others. They were no longer a dot on the scoreboard but a real person with real opionions and worth my love and time.