VICTIM

I hope you don't think I try to be controversial just for the fun of it. Not at all - but somewhere along the line we've convinced ourselves that America used to be a Christian nation - and then some 'bad people' took it away from us. But let me just ask: When was it a Christian nation?

... when we were stealing from Native Americans and taking their land and robbing them of what they had called home for decades?

... when we were importing and exploiting millions of slaves?

I'm not even here to debate the above claims - just to say that mentality has turned us into victims (the bad guys took our country) ... aggressors (we're going to take it back by force now) ... and defenders (quick! the enemy is coming! circle the wagons!).

And if we become aggressive, defensive victims, we hardly carry the posture of Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save lost people with great compassion on nameless crowds.

In the new church era, this attitude toward pre-Christians must change. 'The world' must be viewed less and less as the 'bad boys' who we are here to fight, fear and resist ... or whom we seek to control thru legislation and intimidation.

Instead, 'the world' must be seen more and more as the needy neighbors who haven't yet found the grace that has found us ... who receive our love because God loved them enough to send His Son to grant them eternal life ... who are doing the best they can with what they have and who can't be expected to do much better until we find ways to help them want what we've got.

And be blessed.