Bloom

Anna Sherod in Kessenuma – May 20, 2012

Today I went to the Kessenuma chapter of Toastmasters, and then we all went on a hike together to a nearby mountain.

We talked about “the god of this mountain” vs. “The God of all the mountains.”

Then a fellow hiker who has asked questions about Christianity before mentioned some of the terrible things that he’d seen “Christians” do in the name of Christianity and it was difficult to respond [especially in Japanese].

The questions seemed to go on forever.

I got to thinking about how hard it was to “explain away” the negativity and seeming contradictions, and all I could come up with was this:

Basically, Christianity is hard to explain because that’s the way the devil wants it to be. He has worked so hard on this very thing.

In a perfect world, the Christians would be known by their love and exemplary behavior; recognized by their unity in the faith and their bold confession of the truth.

They would be easily identifiable, especially in groups, by their joy. Instead, sin has fractured us, destroyed some, tainted all – and it all becomes very hard to explain.

When I say that “I still sin daily,” they look at me and ask…

“Ok, then what’s the point of being a Christian?”

And then, when I say that “trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice, my sin is taken away as far as the East is from the West and I am a child of God, living my life in thanks,” they say,

“Well, that seems rather easy and convenient.”

DESPITE THIS, there are people here, non-Christians, wanting to come to full-on Bible study two times a week. That’s the power of God’s Word. There’s no other explanation. Christians themselves are not drawing these people to the church. GOD IS.

Meanwhile, I’m digging deeper myself (Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. – 1st Peter) with some lectures on Justification by Dr. Siegbert Becker and with the excellent book “Prepared to Answer” which I (thankfully?) forgot to give back to Pastor Wordell at the Cafe.

Read more at WELS Christian Aid and Relief