The uncomfortable topic of Jesus.

I will never forget a few conversations I had some years back with a woman who was telling me about her husband’s dysfunctional family. She was a “woman of the community” in a tight-knit neighborhood I used to live in and we would visit every now and then. One afternoon she was telling me about her brother-in-laws both being in and out of prison, their out-of-control alcoholic mother, and a granddaughter she and her husband were helping to raise because her step-daughter was all “messed up” too. The little girl, I think around six at the time, was a handful and burden because she had behavioral issues. A very sad story.

When I ran into her again a few months later I asked how all those troubled folks were doing. She told me things were on the up and up and they were finally getting their lives together. She leaned over and practically whispered in my ear and said “they’re all into Jesus now,” then she looked at me and rolled her eyes. When I asked about the little girl, she said they had to put her into a private “Christian” school because no other public campus would give her the special attention and accommodations she needed. Still rolling her eyes and kind of nervously giggling, she was obviously worried someone was going to overhear her say this. I don’t know why she wasn’t embarrassed to tell me. At that time she didn’t know I was a Christian.

That being said, how many times have you heard “he’s straightened up” or “she’s sobered up” or “they saved their marriage” or “they are off the streets now,” etc., because they “found Jesus?” Probably quite a few times, as there are a lot of testimonies on this out there. Many people finally reach out to God when they have no where else to turn. He rescues them and transformation begins, just about 100 percent of the time. And, interestingly enough, how many times have you heard those same words of salvation spoken giving any other type of “god” that kind of credit? “Oh, their lives have changed because they found Buddha.” “She is doing well because she is seeing a psychic.” “That guru really turned his life around.” Sounds kind of funny doesn’t it? Perhaps a quick fix for a while, but mostly (at least from what I’ve seen) this turns into a “god-hopping” situation — always trying to find an answer that never seems to be found. However, very rarely will you find anyone who “used to be Christian.” I think if you hear that, they probably never knew Jesus in the first place. His power and love are way too deep to walk away from once you are in a relationship with Him.

Being persecuted for following Christ, though hard for me to grasp, is mentioned many times in the Bible. It is something I want to write more about. All you have to do is read the news (in your own community) to see Christianity is becoming more and more socially unacceptable. And though so many lives are saved through His love, it is more acceptable to have lives lost through self-righteousness.

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

This is an uncomfortable truth.

Holding fast,

Lori

 

_{Photography by Ales Krivec}