*Picture from www.oakchurch.org.au
I have been a Christian since I was about 14 years old. I go to church as regularly as I can, was a Girls Brigade leader in Brisbane and now a youth group leader. I attend church most Sundays when I can and love to sing in the worship band. Most of all, I'm proud to say that yes I believe that God exists and that through Jesus I and anyone can be saved and have eternal life. I have morals and views and opinions on certain things which I feel very strongly about and whilst I'm not afraid to express them and quick to point out that it's how I see things and am not trying to force my views on anyone. We are all free to make our own choices. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to admit any of those points, being a Christian is a major part of who I am and always will be.
What is hard at times, especially in the current climate of marriage equality, is the predominantly negative stereotype that is placed upon "Christians". People think we are homophobic or LBGTI haters who think all these people are sinners and should go to hell etc... This really is not the case. I don't know any of my friends who call themselves Christians who feel this way at all. In fact, if we truly believe in God then we believe that ALL people are sinners, therefore we are all the same in the eyes of God, really we are all just as bad as each other, to put it simply. There are many things but just using marriage equality as an example.
Evil comes in many forms. It comes through in people of all faiths: Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Agnostic or Atheist. It comes in people who are white or black or hispanic or asian or other. It comes in the young and in the old. The rich or the poor. Evil does not discriminate where it rears its ugly head a long as it's somewhere it can do damage, therefore it is not in one particular group of people. And love and goodness is the same. You can find it anywhere in anyone, no matter who they are or what religion they affiliate themselves with; whoever chooses to embrace it. It doesn't mean all good people share the same views as you, and just because your opinions differ does not make them a bad person (I'm refraining from using stronger descriptive words I have heard of late). I mean the bible has a million examples of people who've done terrible or socially unacceptable things going on to do extraordinary things. Thieves, murderers, prostitutes, adulterers, rich oppressive people etc...
It is not my job here, as a Christian on earth, to judge people for their actions. The only person I can hold accountable for anything is me, because I'm the only one who has live my life, experienced my circumstances and know how I was feeling and all stages in life to react the way I did. So how can I possibly do that to anyone else, because no-one else knows what it's like to be me so they can't judge me. My purpose, and this I feel strongly about this, is to love and accept people as they are, with all there strengths and faults and with all their views which may be completely different to mine. I want to be able to show and say to people "hey you have the ability to do something great with your life to make this world a better place, whatever that might be.I don't care who you are or who people think you are"
Again I'll say this is purely an expression of my thoughts and feelings and in no why meant to try to change yours. After all it is my blog so I can say what I want hahaha! Well... within reason obviously.
So today, after this my longest blog post yet, I am thankful I am convicted in my faith and have the freedom to do so. My wish, no matter how out of reach it is, is for all of us to be accepting of one another. Imagine what we could achieve together if we did...
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