In fact, I hope I am far from it. My experiences in life have broadened my thinking and stretched my ideas. So often we come to believe that what we are taught, must also be what is right. This, many times, is incorrect. Egotistical thinking leads to tyranny and separatism. It divides, conquering the unity of the church that Christ so valiantly died for. You see, Christ didn't die for tradition. Yes, He upheld the law and the prophets. He led by example, and did his best to not offend anyone~ however, He did offend when offending needed to be done. He broke with tradition by calling out the religious leaders, He broke its tradition by reaching out to Gentiles (the Samaritan woman at the well, and the Roman centurion), and He broke with tradition by challenging old ways and offering forgiveness in its stead (the adulteress). All these things, and many more, were done by the very one we say we follow. Yet we do the same things He condemned. We walk in hatred, bitterness, doubt and unforgiveness. We live in self-hate, other-hate, all-hate. In America, we have strived so strongly to be heard that we no longer hear others. The broken hearts, the needy souls....the wayward, the forgotten....we don't see them anymore. We don't hear them. We like to think we do, but we really don't. This is examples by the Westboro church or pickets at abortion clinics. It is one thing to sidewalk counsel, but I've been witness to badgering, hectoring, and downright unGodly sayings by those saying to "save the unborn". There is a right, and a wrong way, to make a statement. In your dealings with other people as an ambassador of Christ, you must not lean on the adage "it's the thought that count", because it's not your thought, but rather, your actions and words that will be judged and viewed by the people you minister to. As a Christian in the body of Christ, whether you prefer the term "Christian" "Christ-follower" or what have you, you are ALWAYS on the clock in ministry as a minister. We are each called to witness to others. Thought words, actions, prayer, love, listening, and bearing burdens. We must NEVER think ourselves so far above others.....as this will cause injury to those we attempt to lead. People despise leaders who believe they are better than them, and often, this will cause rebellion and uprising. LOVE is your call and motivation, so why have we become caught up in tradition? Are we so afraid to really FEEL for others, that we cling to what we think is right, rather than what true religion is?
I'll be honest. It's not in my custom to close my eyes in prayer. I know this would label me in many congregations. The reasons behind my "lack of respect and honor", is not out of lack of respect or honor. It's out of habit. While on mission work in Asia, when my team would gather to pray, we would get in a group and pray with our eyes open and appear to be speaking to each other. As a crowd, we drew enough attention as it was. However, most people we were doing outreach to had never been exposed to an active Christian community in public, and therefore it would be a hindrance to our ministry to close eyes, hold hands, and pray in the way most churches in America would picture us as doing. In addition to this, in some locations it would not have been safe for our team to draw attention to our Christianity in such an obvious way. We were not ashamed, but 'wise as servants and innocent as doves'. We had no desire to injure local church bodies, or to have visas revoked. We reached out in love, not loudness. Sometimes, that is all that's needed. Many times, all that is required. On a personal note, my most chaotic, heartfelt prayers are prayed when I'm writing them out or crying them in my car, or screaming at the sky at night. We are not only heard through closed eyes and blended knees. We are instructed to pray at all times~ we can't very well walk around with our eyes closed all the time, now can we? So where did this idea of eyes being closed to represent ultimate reverence come from?
Perhaps these are just the ramblings of a missionary missing the field, or young woman who desperately desires true religion to be lived out, or a follower of Christ who doesn't desire the mediocre actions or the hurt that has so often come by the hands of the church. But these are my thoughts....and if they are too harsh, well...I'll let them be. Soon this blog post will drift into oblivion as I continue to post other thoughts, stories and updates.
Peace & Blessings
Ashley
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