Jason Silver

Friday, February 23rd, 2018

Christian Caricatures

We may not be living in the trials of those ancient people of Israel, who had their temple overrun, their holy places desecrated, their priests slaughtered, killed and fed to the birds; but there is a different type of desecration we all face as God's people. Every day we endure taunting of a more subtle kind.

I'm not one to get up on a soapbox concerning the evils of the world, but let's face it: to be a Christian in many places on earth nowadays is to be mocked. We are all lumped in with the very worst legalistic, and hedonistic representatives of our faith; (and I use that word “representative” in a sarcastic manner).

One example, we see it regularly on television shows: the pastors are most often portrayed as having grievous, hidden sins; the average church goer is shown as naive and blind to the truths of the world; Christian men are shown as impotent and absent; Christian women are shown as busy-bodies, or fatally submissive. These caricatures seem to give permission for the nonbeliever to stand in judgment of all Christians everywhere for their general “silliness.”

O God, your new holy temple, the people, are being defiled. We have become a taunt to our neighbours, mocked and derided by those around us. Will you be angry forever? Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

We look forward to the day when we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise!

Amen.