I recently read two books by a great writer named Donald Miller. In his “Blue Like Jazz” he related a story of how his Christian friends, in preparation for the big “party-time” at their college, constructed a confession booth, and a sign that simply said “sins confessed here”. The non-Christian students assumed that after their wild parties, the Christians expected them to come and confess their sins to them. Finally, when one of them did come into the booth, he found that things were not at all as expected. There at the booth were the Christians, waiting to confess THEIR sins to the young man!
What a turn-around! What a refreshing thing it is when Christians get off their “high horse”, get honest, and become vulnerable and open to other people! I believe we would see some powerful things happen if we did—but don’t hold your breath.
However, to at least make an attempt, let me confess to all of you who do not consider yourselves to be Christians, some of our sins and offenses, and an apology to you for having to endure our many shortcomings. We have become such very poor representatives of this wonderful man we say we are following. He cared about the poor, lived a simple life, always had compassion, and common sinners were loved and accepted by him. We live complicated, materialistic, uncaring lives which often reek of self-righteousness instead of grace. We sing “Amazing Grace”, but we aren’t really amazed anymore, and we certainly don’t think of ourselves as wretches. I am sorry.
Our “Christian” television and radio programs often consist of bizarre manipulation, emotionalism, cheap commercialization, and celebrity worship. Some of our programs make a circus out of the healing of a stopped-up ear, but we don’t show you the people who come in and go out in wheelchairs. We preach a God who is more into prosperity on earth than treasures in heaven, more into healing the body than the soul, more into success than truthfulness. I am sorry. If my idea of a Christian were based on what I see on “Christian TV”, I will be quick to admit to you that I would not want to become one. I see us following after some novel interpretation, finding “secret codes” in the Bible, enamored over what will happen to those “left behind”, excited over people being “slain” on the floor, and anything and everything else but the message of God’s love and grace and forgiveness. I am sorry.
Our Lord whom we profess to follow shunned the opportunity for political “power”, for very good reasons that we seem to have forgotten. Many of us are totally obsessed with defending our “rights” as Christians, and become angry or even paranoid if we can’t require everyone to embrace our values or pray our prayers. I am sorry.
We divide into denominations and split our churches over some minor differences in method or interpretation, and thereby send confusing, complicated signals to you, rather than sharing the love of Christ with you. I am sorry.
I must also apologize for each of us, because though we ourselves are sinners, we haven’t admitted it enough. We come to church and appear to have it all “together” in our lives, when we don’t. We allow people to keep the illusion that we are all “good people” when we aren’t. We are not more worthy than you or better than you are. We are plain people with faults and sins and problems just like you have. We get divorces. We lose our temper. We view pornography. We cheat on our taxes. We are often afraid, confused, and lonely. We need a lot of grace, a lot of forgiveness, and a lot of help, just like you. I am sorry. I could go on much longer about the many, many ways we have failed you. I am sorry. We are sorry.
In our Christian Scriptures the apostle Paul says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” He didn’t say, “I was a sinner” ; he said, “I am a sinner- the biggest sinner of all!” Then he told about a savior who loves sinners more than you could ever dream.
But He never said we would not fail Him. He never said we would not fail you. He did say that He would not fail us. And you can count on Him, even if you can’t count on me. The message is not about me. It’s about Him. And if anybody ever needed to hear that message, it is I.
If we ever meet in a confession booth, please, let me go first.
Leave a Reply