Practice What You Preach. Or Just Stop Preaching

I'm not perfect. Let's just start with that. I screw up a lot. I don't always make the best choices. I haven't lived an entirely admirable life.

But I own my own shit. I make my mistakes and I pay for them myself. I own my own brand of crazy and I try really hard - not always successfully - to practice what I preach, to be patient and respectful of people with whom I disagree, and to find the good in everyone that I know is there. I try very hard to love everyone, even when they give me reason not to. That doesn't come from the Bible. I try to do all that because it's the right thing to do. We're all in this together, and we're all just doing the best we can with what we've got.

Aren't we?

I continue to be disheartened and lately downright disgusted by people who claim to "follow Jesus" and be "Christian," and yet, by their every day words and actions, seem to have so much hate, resentment, and judgment in their hearts. 

Jesus said, "Love your enemies," didn't he? He said, "Love your neighbor," didn't he? He didn't say it just once. He said it ALL THE TIME. He didn't say, "Block people who have hurt you, shun them and disrespect them when they do something you don't like or disapprove of. Judge them, condemn them publicly, and encourage others to do so. Withhold your love from all those you feel are no longer (or never were) worthy of that love."

To those who profess Christianity and Christian values, allow me to tell you: I read your posts. I keep an open mind when you "Jesus" this, and "Jesus" that, all over FB, in your home and in your community. AND I watch very carefully how you treat the individual people in your lives, especially when things don't go your way, or you somehow disapprove of or don't like what they have done, particularly when it hurts you.

Yes, I watch. I watch and I listen. I watch what you do very closely, and I listen to your words very carefully. And if others around you, watching and listening as I do, don't know you as I do, and haven't heard all the "Jesus" preaching you've been doing: sometimes, I doubt they'd even suspect you were a Christian.

The evidence just isn't there.

So perhaps you might take a good, long, soul-searching look in the mirror, and do an honest assessment of what you see. And when you do, just remember, you may be the only Bible someone else ever reads. I only pray you do it justice.

And I pray, the next time you behave in a way that completely contradicts all that "Jesus" preaching, that I have the strength and presence of mind to call you on it.

Because I'm really very curious where it comes from, and it ain't the Jesus I know.

[Dismount soapbox.]