do your perceptions reflect reality?

Today is a little deep but I have had alot going on in my head and thought maybe if I write about it it would help. Bear with me as I try to make all my jumbled thoughts make sense and somehow flow.....

I have been having issues with christianity lately; not Christ, but Christianity. As I started having these thoughts I came across a bumber sticker with the quote from Ghandi that said " I like your Christ but I do not like your Christians, because they are nothing like your Christ". How true I thought. That put the struggle I have been feeling into words. Jesus didn't have a church, he didn't have a congregation that he met with one day of the week and then went to the local Shoney's afterward; he merely lived his life everyday for God and loved people for who they were, not what he wanted them to be. Now granted, I am not saying church is wrong, yada yada. I am merely talking about what seems to have become the normal Christian way of thinking. It isn't about denominations, its not about how many are in your church and what great classes you have, its about loving God and loving others. I think it is a constant struggle for everyone but one that we need to make a constant effort to change.

On the flip side of this I have been also struggling with perceptions and how we view our world. I have come to realize that these two things of unchristianity and perception may go hand in hand, but I digress. My struggle with perception can be illustrated best if you think about photography. When a picture is taken, the artist chooses what you see and what they want you to see. For example, You can be reading this blog and think that I am a neat freak because the pictures don't show any clutter. However, I may have cropped out a pile of stuff directly to the left of the picture (for those that know me, you know my house can get a little cluttered:) hehe! I'm pretty sure no one reading this really thinks I am a neat freak so this is merely a made up exampe:) )

I was telling my dilemma to a friend the other day who mentionned that we cant live our life worried about how others are perceiving you. While I think that that has some merit the more I think about it the more I tend to disagree. While you shouldn't live your life as someone you are not, I think it is only right and Christ like to take into account other people's perceptions. Ignoring others perceptions is how Christianity has become so jaded in the eyes of the world over time. Think about it, if you are an unbeliever the majority of your exposure to Christians is probably not in a positive light. It's the waitress at your table after church on Sunday that sees you in your nice clothes and knows you have been to church but gets a meager tip, its the homeless person that is curled up in the corner as you walk in your suits into your 9-5 job but can't bother to bring him out a cup of coffee, its the person behind you in traffic that sees your fish sticker as you cut him off. Although these things by themselves rationally are not a big deal and may be a one time thing for you, couple that with the negative perception that people, unchristians, the people that we need to be ministering and making a difference in their lives, already have and you have proven their theory right again. So, I do think we need to be cognitive of other people's perceptions.

I came across this book the other day called Unchristian by Gabe Lyons and he has put into words and researched exactly what I have been thinking. Check it out here.. It starts with "Christianity has an image problem. If you've lived in America for very long, I doubt this surprises you. But it brings up important questions. Just what exactly do people think about Christians and Christianity? ....Obviously, people believe their views are accurate (otherwise they would disavow them), but do their perceptions reflect reality? And why do people's perceptions matter - should they matter--to Christ followers? ....I hope you will more carefully consider how firmly people reject--and feel rejected by--Christians and that you come away feeling inspired with ways you can make a difference."

So, if you have read this far, I hope that you take my ramblings and chew on them for awhile, see how they affect your life and then take action. Even if its a small a step as blessing your waitress after church this Sunday. You have no idea what small action can transform a life. And if you are like me and at this time a little jaded by Christianity, another quote by Ghandi that I live my life by "Be the change you wish to see in the world". It all starts with you, right now.....it is as simple as loving God and loving others.