Many people in my life are rejecting the labels of Christianity, some of the most loving and Christ-like people I know. I think there is a certain embarrassment in associating with a religion that sometimes seems incapable of lovingkindness or nondiscriminatory compassion. Despite the mandate to judge not, judgment is something Christians are known for.
It is a tricky spot. While I feel a strong sense of shared values with Jesus, I do not feel the same way about the church at large. And I am left wondering: can my feelings about the church be separated from my feelings about Jesus? If the church is his body, then is the way I feel about the church a reflection of how I feel about him? Am I myself a part of this body that I find so discouraging?
I have reached a point in my faith where I don't want to be a Christian. I don't want people to think I am a Christian and I even sometimes wish I had no faith in Jesus, but I do. I have this knowledge in my soul that people genuinely loving each other is the only thing that redeems us, and a belief that this is what Jesus stands for.
Is it possible to reclaim what it means to be a Christian? Would a reclamation be worth anything?
