O P I N I O N
MY THOUGHTS, EXACTLY
By Brian Chicoine
I was recently having a discussion with a friend regarding Jesus when their friend spoke up and said that they did not believe in all that “hocus pocus” religious stuff and that preachers just want money to live their lavish lifestyles while the rest of us try to make ends meet. They also added that so-called Christians are nothing but hypocrites who pretend to love each other on Sundays.
It was pretty obvious that this person did not like Christians or the Church. There was a lot to unpack in the statement, which would have taken way more time than we had at that moment.
But since I did not want to appear like I was trying to avoid the criticisms or dismiss the beliefs of this person, I simply said that they shouldn’t believe everything that they see, nor should they believe everything that they are told. I recommended that they compare everything to what Jesus said, how He lived, what Biblical writers said about Him, and that everything needs to be taken in context. I also agreed that there are hypocrites in the Church, as there are in every segment of society.
I further told the person that I personally do not know of any true Jesus-following pastors who are getting rich from church giving. The reality is that we need to pay the bills, but people need to realize that money also goes to things like missionary and partnership support, as well as local outreach, which all cost money.
This person did bring up some good points, which I will go through in the hopes of increasing understanding and preventing simple stereotypes.
- People are unfortunately often told how they ought to live by pious, self-described “Christians” who then go and do what they told the person not to do. Or they try to teach people to be like them because we have to be perfect if we are a Christian. (Back in 2005, the band Casting Crowns released a song called “Stained Glass Masquerade” that spoke about the effect of people believing that they have to be perfect.) Truth is that we are not called to be perfect; we are called to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We love people and leave it to God to change them and to deliver the ultimate justice.
- Jesus had many encounters with people who were deemed “unworthy” by the religious elite (whom Jesus often clashed with, I might add). My favorite encounter, and one that I have written about, was His meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well, which is recorded in the Book of John, Chapter 4, verses 4 through 32. The fact that Jesus met people where they are is important to understand because it shows that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done or are doing. Jesus didn’t help people because they gave Him money, and neither should Christians or His Church.
- Some pastors out there are wealthy who teach the Gospel and are Biblically solid. They happen to have large churches or a large online influence. I personally am not a large church guy, but I do not believe that all pastors with large churches are bad, especially if they use their influence and resources to help others. The pastors that I am concerned about are the ones who preach a watered-down version of the Gospel and who have a focus on money. They are asked simple questions about their statements versus what Jesus taught, and they dance to remain popular or to keep the “pews full.”
A documentary that I have watched and recommend goes further into detail regarding “preaching for money” (as I call it). The documentary, which is called “American Gospel: In Christ Alone,” is available on YouTube. The full version, which can be rented, is available by clicking HERE. There is a free, condensed version, which is also on YouTube and can be accessed HERE. Watching the documentary will give one a better understanding of the issue of money over Jesus.
As always, feel free to email comments to me at mythoughts603@gmail.com.