Shading the Truth
Jim Abrahamson
July 1, 1997
What do people want our church to look like?
It's a question I'm often tempted to ask. Yet this impulse reflects in me a lack of vision or a deep insecurity.
A healthy church is secure enough in its understanding of the kingdom of God not to put on a show. At its core, a healthy church must walk in the light of the reality of God and the world. The first step toward honesty and health is identifying the dishonesty. Most churches don't intend to be dishonest, but sometimes we create unrealistic expectations.
Its disguises
Here are several ways our churches can unwittingly participate in a form of hypocrisy:
1. By what isn't said.
A young woman who visited our church described to me the three worlds of her early life: The first world was her home, where she was sexually abused. The second was a public-school room, where she was respected for her mind. The third was her church, which portrayed God as one who knew nothing of, and who made little difference in, her first two worlds. She said her church pretended that abuse did not take place among God's people, and it did not appreciate her strengths as a woman. She felt her church did not encourage Christians to ask tough questions. This church hadn't intended to be dishonest, but by not talking about real issues of life, it gave an inaccurate impression.
2. By what is said
In my early years as a believer, I felt many Christian testimonies gave an inflated view of Christian experience. I discovered the people giving testimonies often felt pressure to shore up what was, in many cases, a lackluster encounter with God. Inflated testimonies encourage others to subtly lie, and they promote a dishonest church.
3. By what is promised
Churches can fall into promising too much. For example, ...
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