The human condition is not that we 'do bad things'.
The human condition is that we are all sinful beings. We are "b-b-b-b-ba-ba bad to the bone."
By our very nature we are people who are predisposed for things that do not line up with love. Christianity points out that we're all on the same playing field at the cross of Christ. All of us have fallen short of God's standard. All of us are in need of grace from God.
Today I came across a story on CNN about a 16 year old who was beaten to death in Chicago. To get the full passion with which I write the following words, read that story before you continue.
Having grown up and now ministering in Baltimore I can assure you that this identical story can be written with the city of Baltimore as the backdrop just as easily.
What this story points out is that there is an evil in this world so brutal and so deranged that it's unspeakable to most people. This evil however does exist.
As a society we have allowed a vocal minority of people rise up to tell us that our children should not hear of God. We are told that we must depend on government regulation and intervention for our society to work. We are told that a family is no longer the necessary cornerstone to society but rather 'it takes a village'. In the meantime our society suffers. Our children are brainwashed to think their great great great grandparents were monkeys and their greatest of ancestors was a tadpole created from electrocuted snot soup.
The reason people need to learn of the love of the Gospel of Jesus is that we are not people simply who do bad things. We are naturally (when left to our own) people with a rebellious nature. Certainly not everyone is out to kill but we all at the very least consider ourselves above others. We have lost the common courtesy to hold a door in most cases. We are a self indulgent people.
Many of us have the capability to help and love our neighbor but we walk on by instead. After years of social media, the One Campaign, Kiva, Blood Water Mission and other fine organizations alerting us of needs around the world we continue to let people die for no reason. We are all broken people. Lets just admit it already. As a society lets stop trying to pretend we're all naturally good. We're not. We're all screwed up. Some just mask it better than others.
The typical reaction to a murder is that our politicians come out and talk about creating new gun laws. We blame inanimate objects for the problem. Our politicians blame metal. I wonder if after reading this story will our politicians lobby for tougher 2x4 laws? I'm not making a joke here. I'm making a point that this is the 'leadership' we receive because this is the leadership we choose. At the very least we allow a void that gets filled by people who have yet to acknowledge their own frailty and brokenness. In short we follow leaders who consider themselves a god. They believe they have all of the answers and faith is a fairy tale. The problem is not with the tools used for violence or hate, the problem is found in the heart that hates in the first place.
We must take off our rose colored glasses.
We are fooling ourselves if we believe that our societal issues can be repaired by government, 'villages' or highway signs. What we are dealing with are conditions of the heart. Whether you like faith or hate it you must acknowledge that the more Christianity is pushed to the sidelines and the more that Christians sit silent in the public square, the more common these incidents become.
Today America has more children born into families without both mother and father married than ever before. We are right now seeing the results of fatherless homes in our inner cities. We are handicapping authorities in every way possible by allowing groups to get publicity out of attacking the public servants who protect us as a society. Ultimately we as Christians are to take the blame for remaining silent and on the bench.
Every school in this country would love to have us volunteer and love on young people but we don't. We leave it to 'someone else, something else, somewhere else'.
People need to know of the new life they can find in Jesus Christ. People need to know that their life is not an accident. People need to know that their life is ETERNAL and not simply a 70 year sprint with no meaning. People need to know that love wins. People need to know that there is a God who knows them, loves them and expects no magic tricks. He simply wants to be allowed to take up residence in their lives so HE can do his thing. People need to be loved.
People need to know that their life matters, their existence matters and they have a Heavenly Father who believes they matter!
People need the love that leads to new life in Christ.
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This is why we're here!
This past Sunday at Captivate Church 4 people crossed the line of faith and trusted Jesus Christ for new life in Him. Ephesians 2:8-10 promises that they have an eternal life in Christ not because of their inherent 'goodness' but rather because of grace through faith. If you are interested in learning more about a new life in Christ please contact me or visit CaptivateChurch.com for our grand opening this Sunday at 10 a.m. - 10626 York Rd, 21030!
We're also starting a new church in East Baltimore at the corner of Orleans and Luzerne Avenue near McEldery Park. Pray for us as we attempt to bring people new life in Christ.
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