For Those Who Seek

My heart is very happy right now. I just finished a good and interesting conversation with my friend, Lalaith. I feel I have a much greater understanding of her reasoning; and we have once again parted good friends. Much to be happy about!

On to the post!

I wasn't sure how to answer this one at first. It's a motivational speech to those who are thinking about leaving Christianity, a pep-talk of sorts. In one way, I admire the writing - it's well done. Really, all of their posts are. There are things that I agree with and things that I disagree with. But this time, something overall struck me.

Threnody is appealing to people who feel constrained by Christianity, who want out, who are unhappy and discontent with their lives. She's preaching freedom out of a desire to see all those who felt as she did become loosed from bondage to the God they don't love. Honestly, on that count, I'm right with her. I don't want people in Christianity who hate it there or who don't love Jesus Christ. They'll be miserable. In fact, GOD doesn't want people trying to hide inside Christianity who don't love Him. (They can't hide from Him; He knows, of course; but they can hide from other people.)

So, please, by all means, if you don't love God, leave the church. You will be happier; the Church will be healthier.

On the other hand, Threnody seems to miss something. Her message is one of hope and overcoming hardship and fear, a message of making your own way. What she doesn't seem to understand is that some people run TO Christ because they don't want to make their own way, because they've been trying that for years and it's hard, and, in the end, it causes pain. All the things that she deplores about true Christianity (as opposed to the religiosity that can easily get mistaken for it), others find reassuring and comforting. The rules that she hates, are not confining or laborious; they're a pleasure. When someone you love asks you to do something simple, that's not confining; that's not difficult. It's easy; it's happy - being able to do something for the one that you love.

Trying to make your own way? How is that freeing? Making my own way sounds like a good deal more work than following the way that God has already made. Think about that for a minute in terms of a massive jungle, wild and overgrown with underbrush. Make your own way, or follow the path where the brush has already been cleared away?

As for being accountable only to your own conscience, that simply isn't true. We live in a nation governed by laws. No matter what your conscience says, if you break those laws, you may very well be held accountable to something other than your conscience. Anyone who's been pulled over for speeding can attest to that - for most people, speeding does NOT bother their conscience, but they're still held accountable for it. Aside from the laws of the nation, people hold each other and judge each other to their own standards all the time. Maybe that's not how Threnody thinks things should be, but it is how things are. Person A judges Person B by Person A's standards. This is not peculiar to Christianity or any other religion.

So here is the counter-offer to Threnody's. Come to Jesus. His yoke is EASY; His burden is LIGHT. Yes, He has a yoke and a burden for you, but He doesn't make you bear them alone. He will be with you forever to help you along. He's already cleared the path and He'll help you walk it. You don't need to fight with the underbrush; just trust Him. It doesn't matter how far you've gone your own way or how deep you're stuck in the brush; He is God Who made it all; it's not hard for Him to pull you out.

If you have any questions, please send me an email.