INSIDE OUT

I've decided that it's time we reinvent this term! I am getting really uncomfortable with associating myself with this name, "Christian". Not because I simply don't believe, but because of how the "church" represents this man called, Christ. To be called a Christian, one must "follow" Christ. Now, one would think that to follow him would be to try to do as he says and did. One would think that to do that, you would need to love each other as he loved. He was very forgiving toward those only "HE", in his perfection, could know were "sinful". He was extremely gentle, loving, and mostly, he was completely understanding. To follow him, you would not be angry with another as, so Jesus explains, this would be considered equal to murder. Now, to be someone who follows a particular "church"... following that particular church might mean something. There are so many different interpretations in each church and in each member. The bible was not actually written in the language in which Jesus spoke. How much interpretation do you think got lost in translation? When Jesus roamed the Earth, he very often interpreted the previous scriptures differently to those who followed it and who instilled it upon the "church". These people thought they had it all together. Jesus had words for these people. I'd like to think that if Jesus roamed our Earth today, he would once again be constantly reinterpreting these New Testament scriptures. He would be telling us how we've got it all wrong. How can we be so arrogant to believe that one "way", one church, one person has it all right!? So, call yourselves "CHURCHians"! Because if you do not have love nor the absence of anger for those whom you simply "disagree" with, then please don't call yourself a committed Christ follower. If you disagree with homosexuality and are so angered by the sight of those who practice loving one-to-one relationships, yet, won't even have the audacity to consider them Christians, please don't consider yourself one who models after Christ. If you disagree with Obama becoming President of the United States of America and you are in constant battle with your fellow Americans, please don't consider yourself any more or less of a Christ follower than those people Christ became MOST upset with... people who thought they knew it all and instilled their own interpretations and manipulations on those who would really like to follow Christ but weren't allowed by the "church"! The object of our journey is Christ. We can't think for a second that we know it "all" or that we know even just ONE right interpretation of any one scripture. How can any of us say we have perfected every single detail for each word, each phrase, each noun, or each verb?! If you don't take your brother and sister by the hand and say, "I may disagree with what you are doing, but, I don't know full truth and you may just be right! You are invited into my home, into my church, and into my own struggling walk towards Christ! We need to take this journey alongside each other in love. We need to focus on relaying the message of hope towards Christ, encouraging each other to love him and show love to those around us! Not, as it seems, to invite people in, only to force them to agree with our own so-called "truths". Telling those, who Christ is calling, to feel guilty and moreover, damned by leaving the "church", destined for this "hell" you place them in. Risking these seekers to not want ANYTHING to do with Christ! I want to be called a Christian but, unfortunately, this is becoming more and more difficult. Some of these so-called Christians give the name by which they call themselves, a very bad representation.... And I want nothing to do with it.