I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time on the road the past few months which has been both a blessing and a curse. It has been a blessing because I see something new every day and it has been a curse because I miss consistency. There is also the gross injustice of wearing the same socks for an extended period of time. I hate socks.
Nevertheless, one of my favorite things I have witnessed – while driving along I-95 – was a sign that read: “Real Christians obey Jesus’ teachings. 855-For-Truth”
I did not call the number, but I searched for more information about what the billboard meant by “Real Christians.”
Did it mean Christians who talked like a robot and were super happy while greeting their neighbor? Like, “Hi-diddly-ho neighbor, thou shall speak in King James translations and never be depressed because that is the devil.”
What about Christians who are constantly protesting and proclaim only the Social Gospel?
Christians who post Facebook statuses defending their beliefs?
Christians who have a Bible verse in their Instagram bio? (Damn that is me)
Christians who are edgy and drink beer, are affirming, and cuss? (Shit, also me)
Did it mean Christians who were Republicans because it says so in Romans somewhere? (Sarcasm)
I could keep going, but I doubt everyone finds me as funny as I think I am sometimes. Anyways, it turns out, there was a website that had decent, historical reasoning surrounding their highway propaganda.
“Real Christians,” according to the website, are Christians who are attempting to become more like Christ and are not like the Constantinian converted Christians who became Christians, just, kind of for the hell of it. You know, it was the cool thing to do/it was the official religion and there was no conviction behind it. (There was way more to it and I am glossing over it not to bore you)
I can agree with that, random makers of Christian roadside billboard propaganda, aka Bible-belt evangelism. If you are going to be Christian…be Christian. Of course, I did not completely identify with the rest of what was on the site, mainly their theology was too conservative for me. But hey, having the same theology as someone else is not in Jesus’ teachings.
My main concern, with all of this, was my immediate reaction to the billboard. Over the past few years I have developed a habit of jumping into defense mode against what I deem to be bad or harmful theology. Particularly theology that shames people into feeling inadequate. While this was not necessarily the intended message of this sign, it is immediately what I thought of because shame is a pervasive, pest in today’s church and in the world.
When I talk about shame, I am not talking about a hand-slap from a loving parent. I am talking about something much deeper; that cuts a person to their core. I love Brene Brown’s explanation of shame when she compares it to guilt: “Shame is a focus on self, guilt is a focus on behavior. Shame is, ‘I am bad.’ Guilt is, ‘I did something bad.’ How many of you, if you did something that was hurtful to me, would be willing to say, ‘I'm sorry. I made a mistake?’ How many of you would be willing to say that? Guilt: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Shame: I'm sorry. I am a mistake.”
So how often do we find ourselves making someone feel like a mistake?
A popular phrase in Christian-speak is: “Hate the sin, not the sinner.” The problem is, nobody can agree what “sin” actually is and we spend more time shaming people rather than loving them.
In a world focused on sin, we ourselves become sinners who must not believe in redemption. The more we call out this “sin” or that “sin,” we assume the role of judge and jury, while also possibly asserting that the cross meant nothing.
What a shame…
Shame causes even the strongest of people to cower in its midst. Like many other evils in this world, it robs people of their identity and their worth. Shame prevents people from becoming more like love. And, if you are a Christian or believe in Christ, it prevents people from becoming more like Christ.
When shame becomes our sword, it severs any link Christianity has to “Good news.”
What then shall we do?
Rather than arguing over sin, perhaps we could put down our swords of shame and see people as people; as fellow creations of God.
Just as Christ did in the story of the woman accused of adultery in John 8.
Brought before Jesus with accusations meant to shame and condemn her as a sinner, the woman was a beloved person to Christ. There is no account of her saying any sinner’s prayer, asking for forgiveness, being baptized, or running down to the altar.
Culturally and historically speaking, it probably was not even her fault she was caught up in such a mess to begin with. For that reason, it is all the more important to note that Christ saw her as human first.
Christ did not condemn her for a title others had given her. Christ did not shame her or question her identity. He set her free from the shame others had given her.
That is the good news of the Gospel.