Unchristian

Just in case you’re wondering (humor me), I’ve been in school the last 2 weeks working on my Master’s degree at Bethel Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I do these 2-week intensives twice a year, which means I’m away from my wife for one month each year (not a perk of the program). I’ve learned a ton, and I really wanted to throw out some nugs that I’ve been pondering to you all back at Truenorth. Specifically, I’ve been forced to think a lot about how we as Christians are perceived in America by people who do not embrace Christianity for themselves. The book I read that spurred on most of these thoughts is called “Unchristian” by David Kinnaman, which I’d highly recommend for this topic. I want to ask start you the same question that the author of this book asked thousands of people – “What adjectives most accurately describe Christians in America?” Well that’s easy, right? Of course, it’s gotta be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind…no. I wish these were the results of the research, however, non-believer’s view of Christians is completely the opposite. In nationwide polls, the 3 most common adjectives used by young non-believers (ages 16-29) to describe Christians were “antihomosexual” (91%), “judgmental” (87%), and “hypocritical” (85%). Just think about that for a second. This means that if you reveal to a non-believer that you are a Christian, there is a great chance that they will instantly perceive you to be a judgmental, homophobe whose actions don’t line up with your words. Yikes! To say that Christianity has a PR problem is an understatement, and the saddest thing is that most of these “perceptions” are made based on real experiences these people had with Christians and churches that were in fact judgmental, hypocritical, and homophobic, among other negative things. Maybe the hardest stat in the book to swallow was this: 84% of young non-believers said they “know a Christian personally,” yet only 15% said they “see lifestyle differences” in the Christians they know. I don’t highlight these stats to be a downer, but rather to wake you up to the reality that most young people outside the Christian faith don’t see us the way Jesus intended. Something has to shift. As believers today, we carry the privilege and responsibility of reflecting God rightfully to a generation that is more skeptical than ever. I’d love to hear your reactions in regards to some of the stats, or ways you believe we can act in showing Jesus genuinely to those outside the Christian faith.
bb