CHRISTIANS: The Great Pretenders

Exactly two Saturdays ago I had a seven to three shift at my place of work, after which I made my way down to City Gate for a maxi taxi to take me to my next stop which was drama rehearsals near Arima. I quickly boarded the next available bus and decided to unwind. The driver had his Gospel station on with preaching in the background and thought to myself ‘It’s good to hear this for a change’

Some five minutes into the drive he raised the volume to make sure that everyone heard the speaker and honestly I was glad, for the message was about positive thinking verses thinking in alignment of God’s Word. Many who were speaking loudly soon became engrossed, and tuned into his simplistic yet powerful words. I felt good! The Gospel was affecting some in the bus! Yes! There’s some more for the Kingdom of Heaven!

However twenty minutes into the drive changed how I felt about what my Christian bus driver and supposed brother in the Lord was doing. His noble deed went out the window when I witnessed an embarrassing moment.

A mother and two children stopped the maxi and hopped on; children first and mother last. As the children made way to their seats, their mother held two empty beverage bottles in her hand and proceeded to place it in the garbage bin that was located near the automatic door. The driver exclaimed, ‘I don’t want that in there! Leave yuh garbage elsewhere!’

Surprised at the remark everyone sat upright and stared onwards!

‘This is a garbage bin is it not drive?’ she calmly replied.

‘I don’t want any drinking in here!’ he shouted.

‘I’m not drinking Sir, I’m just placing empty bottles into the bin’

The driver continued nonetheless to shout and literally ‘boof’ her.

The mother who I thought handled the matter with much grace, raised her hand and motioned her children to meet her outside and that they’ll wait on another form of transport. He then shut the door quickly behind them and sped off! A Rasta man many stops later, paid the hasty driver and remarked,

‘You could never be a Christian! Playing yuh Gospel music and then boofing up the woman so. Is all yuh so that can’t get me in church!’

Everyone else in the bus soon joined in showing their disappointment in the driver’s actions.

Think for a moment on that scenario I just shared. You like me would have slouched in embarrassment as a believer. Think about how quickly he got a bus load to listen in on the preaching and how on the flip side lost their respect. Do we really consider how our gestures, facades and chauvinistic ways loose souls in the Kingdom

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Aside from my secular job I do stage management in Gospel shows and I’m a ‘PK’. I must share that I have been exposed to many people, of varied lifestyles who claim to serve the same Christ but church people can surprise you! Sometimes we really act like a brood of vipers!

We cunningly attract, entangle and go in for the kill with our brothers and sisters. It hurts me to know how we ‘play’ church and claim to have the love of God yet clearly move about selfishly! We speak of unity and peace, of being our brother’s keeper and really living lives that is pleasing to Christ, but our actions show that we are nothing more than carnally minded.

Am I attacking the church and saying that it’s bad and that we should do away with the institution? By no means no! The church is important. It’s our rehab as one friend puts it. However it doesn’t change the fact that for many people and even me the words ‘I’m a Christian’ has no more merit until it shows in your daily living. For many out there again and for myself the greatest hurt was from church. There are many that go to church and segregate themselves due to past hurt with Sister Sharon and Brother Thomas and Elder Clarke and Missionary Baptiste.

I was reading Matthew 23 and it again hit me hard. ‘Lord, am I in anyway like this? I know persons that behave like this. Please forgive us.’ my heart whispered unto Him.

Many of you are faced with situations of competition with a brother or sister who wants to ‘out shine’ you and take credit for something that the Lord placed upon your heart and you were genuinely doing it unto God with no mind for a reward. Yet they step in and try to make you feel foolish. Maybe for some, you have taken a beating so hard, countless times you’re wondering how long again you would endure it. I want to encourage you none the less to stand firm in Christ!

Still we need to follow the word and please Him. If you find yourself in that tight spot follow Matthew 18:15-20. At the end of the day we need to stop divisions, pains and hurt where ever we can. Like Paul in1Corinthians 1:10 I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

While writing this I just thought imagine Christ came, he performed so many miracles, taught so much and we still hung Him on a cross and whilst near death, it said in Luke 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Christ petitioned on behalf of those that sinned unto death GREATLY by crucifying Him. Christ in all his compassion found it in His heart to forgive us.

I speak to myself in asking, do we really exercise forgiveness, compassion, love, understanding, patience, and kindness? I know it’s hard to put ourselves in the position to say sorry or be forgiving when you didn’t do the wrong but I’ve had to do it and it’s quite rewarding! I can feel like God says ‘Well done’ with a pat on the back.

Point of this all is that we become aware of how we hurt others and need to be less offended and more forgiving. I always try to reflect upon how God had sent His only begotten Son for me and billions who continuously sin for years on end with no remorse, and forgive us on and on and on. Yet we come into one bad encounter with a brother/sister in the body and we hold onto that for years! Let us strive to be like Christ more and more.

Let us be renewed in our minds daily by the reading of His Word and His ways will abide in you to a greater extent. I wrote this with the hope that we begin our week by being conscious of what we do and say. I too am a work in progress and hope to be better and as the founder of this site says ‘Strive to be perfect till the day I die’

Hope you enjoy the video below by Silent Sah called ‘Fight Down’

Written by :

Esther James

 

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