I used to make fun of people I’d see running along this main road that goes from my house to everywhere.
A fat guy jiggled when he jogged. A lady power-walked as if she couldn’t decide whether to go fast or slow. The fella in short shorts. The teenager, training for the cross country team (which was running a good ½ mile ahead of him).
I could find anything to criticize. Until I hit the age of 40 (a long, long time ago), faced my mortality seriously for the first time, and began exercising more regularly.
It’s hard work! No, I don’t do it right all the time, or do it all the time, but I do it. And for that, I now commend these joggers. Good for them. They’re exercising. Even the guy on roller blades, which just doesn’t seem fair.
Anyone can find a reason to criticize others, which I believe is most often a diversionary tactic to deny one’s own fears or weaknesses. Some people refuse to go to the gym because, as one of my friends put it, “Everyone at the gym thinks they have the perfect body. How can I fit in?” It’s simply not true.
If people at the gym thought they had the perfect body, then why would they be there sweating and straining? Maybe it’s people who don’t go to the gym or exercise who think they have the perfect body. They think that their body and health are just fine the way they are, ignoring all the warning signs to the contrary.
I’ve heard the same remark made about going to church. “People at church think they’re perfect.” Really? Then why are we there? Maybe it’s people who don’t go to church who think they’re perfect. They think that they’re all right with God just the way they are, ignoring all the warning signs to the contrary. They don’t need church.
It’s time for our anti-church friends to realize we church people don’t think we’re perfect. We just know we’re forgiven. And we don’t expect them to be perfect, but do want them to know they’re forgiven too—not by a church denomination, not by their own good deeds or sincere intents, not by formalistic ritual—but by a divine man who commissioned the church to preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47). Jesus Christ.
Jesus could have said, “I’m perfect and I like it,” but instead he took our imperfect sins to the place of punishment on the cross. Once. For all. There God’s anger at sinners was stilled.
Come to church. Learn more about Jesus, your Savior.
Church people can be strange, and even sinful. But at least we’re finding forgiveness in the right place. Get to God’s gym soon.
PRAYER: Jesus, open our church doors to welcome all, and to let us out from constrained protectivism to discover a real world with real needs desperate for real hope and truth in your grace. Amen.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Where, in the Bible, does Jesus compare the “I don’t need physical health” self-delusion to the shame self-delusion about spiritual health and the forgiveness of sins?