They don't act like it

Hosea 8:2 Predictably, Israel cries out, “My God! We know you!” But they don’t act like it.

We all know people who profess to be “Christian”, but they don’t act like it. They’re mean, spiteful and judgmental. They hate their enemies and aren’t too crazy about their neighbors. They’re out for themselves, oblivious to the needs and experience of those around them. They’re the kind of Christians that give Christianity a bad name.

But then I have to ask, ‘What do people see when they look at me in the world?’ Do they see someone who is passionate about living out Christ’s call or someone who’s just as caught up in the pettiness of life as anyone else? I’d guess that what they see in large part depends on my mood that day. My rector likes to tell stories about moments when she is just about to unload all her annoyance and irritation on some service person or other, and they say something like, “Oh, I know you! You’re the rector at that church…” Then she has to think before she descends to hate and vitriol. It reminds her of who she is, of whose she is, and she chooses to address the situation differently. I wear a cross around my neck. Mostly it’s a witness to who I am, but I think also it’s a reminder that if I am to embody Christ in the world, I need to be accountable. That cross helps me; it lets other people see who I am trying to be, and as such it keeps me honest.

Prayer: Dear God, Help me remember whose I am when I walk around in the world, and that my purpose in life is to be Your Presence to others. Amen.

*I am off to a week in Mississippi working on houses for Katrina relief. Don't know if I'll be able to post while I am there -- it's a busy week! I'll be back the following week.