FSM Blogger

My last blog was a look at one of my favorite bands (U2). They are a great example Christians living out their faith in our world. It really has me thinking. As followers of Christ, we often paint people that don't believe as we believe as either non-believers, hypocrites, or lost. Why is that? If one was to look at U2 at the surface, they would see Rockers who are rich, famous and spoiled. But listening to their lyrics, reading about what they stand for and how they live their lives (how they have lived them since they were teens) you find that they are truly convicted that God's Kingdom has come in the form of Christ and must be lived out by his people. Yet we make snap judgements of people based on looks, income, etc and don't think one thing about it. I got this email from an old High School friend the other day. It was a moving message from him about his need to be forgiven for the way he acted when he was in High School. I had long since forgotten about it and was even taken a back by his apology. He had found peace and the grace of Christ a few years ago and is now serving our Savior with his life. But his past has obviously stayed with him and has colored his view (and the view others have had of him as he so put it through a story he told me about an old friend that he ran into that was 'shocked' to learn he was a minister because of his past life). What am I saying??? Looks are deceiving. The past is just what it says, the past. My friend is a lover of Christ and longs to bring others to him. U2 are lovers of Christ and desperate for justice, peace and help for those that are overlooked. Both of them are great examples of God-followers. Both of them are living a life that God has purposed them to live. Yet both of them will be ridiculed, slandered, and persecuted for their beliefs. Unfortunately, some of the persecution will come from those that claim to love God. What if we joined with lovers of God and became as unashamed as they? What would happen if we joined with a cause, no THE cause and began living out what we claim to believe in? I would not be ashamed to look like my friend or like U2. Not because they are awesome muscians but because they are great examples of Christ in a world desperate for His grace. What say you???