There are many Christians in the world. Among them, there are many "types" of Christian. There are those who go to church each Sunday, and can't imagine a week without it, or that other Christians needn't, or can't, go to church weekly. Some even go to church on multiple days of the week. Then, there are those (such as myself) who feel lucky if they are able to make it to church (the physical building) once every month or so, but who may still attend church (without the physical place or the group of others) in their own way.
For me, church on Sunday morning is usually a bus to work and a pair of headphones playing christian rock songs or general worship tunes. It may not seem like much to some, but it's all it needs to be -- a quiet moment, between me and God, to worship.
Oh goodness, why is she going on and on about how people go to church in different ways?
Because I want to talk about how some people, sometimes, judge others. This church scenario just so happens to be my first example.
I've been told outright by some Christians I've met that you (the general "you" here) can't be a Christian if you don't go to church, or if you haven't read the bible from cover to cover, or if you believe in/pray to the trinity instead of just in the name of God. That last one was one of the stranger, "you can't be if," claims that I've heard in some time. But it doesn't really matter what their reasons are, the fact that they are dictating why someone "can't" be a Christian is ridiculous in and of itself.
How can someone even begin to come up with rules or reasons for why anyone can or can't be a Christian? As if it were up to them to pass out judgement, as if they were able to see how a person's relationship with God is fairing! As I said in my previous post, your relationship with God is personal and intimate. How would you feel if someone came up to you and your significant other and started listing off reasons for why you two couldn't possibly be in love?
Now, unfortunately, it's not so uncommon for a person to try and do such things in today's world, but does that mean they should? Who are they to dictate regulations for how your romantic relationships should work? In the same way, who are they to do the same with your relationship with God? Who's to say you need to go to church, anyway? Who's to say you must read the bible in order to be a Christian? Surely any true Christian will want to read the bible, will feel at the very least a curiosity towards it at one point in their life, but is it really a requirement? There are Christians in restricted nations who go through their entire LIVES never even laying eyes on a single page of the bible. They still live and die as Christians; some even die as Christian martyrs.
There are reason abound for people to judge other people, and for Christians to judge other Christians. Someone judges someone because of how they look, or talk, or act. A Christian might judge another Christian on those same reasons, but some also judge on their beliefs. If I were to tell every Christian I met everything that I believe in, I'm certain that at least half of them would pass judgement. Some may even see some of my beliefs as sacrilegious.
Here's a quick rundown: I am a Christian with every fiber of my being -- I know and feel this, and am aware of His presence in every moment of every day. In addition, I'm a Native American, and learning about that culture has shown me that the native beliefs pan in very well with Christianity (I won't go into detail, because it could be -- and probably is -- an entire book). I also believe that dragons existed, and that they likely still do and are simply smart enough to stay hidden. I believe in fairies (the Irish Folklore kind), and along those same lines I believe that practically all of the mythical creatures from stories and cultures all over the world could exist, and how are we to know for sure either way?
I also believe in magic. I believe that miracles are a sort of magic -- a God granted magic -- and that anything granted by his nemesis could also, in name, be a sort of magic. Some would hear this and ask, "How can you call yourself a Christian and also claim belief in these things?" My answer: To be a Christian is to believe with your every fiber that God exists, that He loves the world, and that He died for you. As many people will point out, there is no physical evidence or proof for these things. We go on faith. In my Christian beliefs, faith is more than enough for me. So why not in other areas as well?
I apologize if I've rambled. My examples of what people might be judged on as a Christian ran away with me a bit (and I technically wrote this post over the course of two days, which added to the length considerably), but I hope everything helped to illustrate my point. You can believe anything you want, and it is up to God and God alone to judge you on such things -- on anything. As Christians we are not here to judge. We are here to love. We are here to share that love with everyone we possibly can, and we are here to share His truth and spread it to every corner of the earth. Yes, we all sin, and so it is bound to happen that we will judge someone in some way. But next time you find yourself passing judgement on someone for any reason, I hope I've planted a thought in your mind that will make you pause, and rethink, even for just a moment.
As always, God bless and God speed! I'll throw in a bit of an "allons-y!" as well.
Prayer Request:
That all Christians learn to love one another, and learn to love everyone ELSE in the world as well! It is surely a difficult thing to do as a human being, but we pray for little victories and big success.
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