“Christians are horrible, they are so mean.”

Not only is this sentiment too common today, but these were the words I heard from one of our varsity basketball players this morning.  We had just finished a win over a Christian school who’s crowd began a personal verbal attack on the player over perceived rough defense.  The 15 year-old player was left reeling from a crowd of adults screaming at her. As I overheard her talking to her mother on the phone, the words of dissappointment stung with each syllable.

“Christians are supposed to be the best, but they are the worse.”

Unfortunately this was the second Christian school in as many days who had behaved in a similar manner.  I must confess my own behavior has not always been exemplary during close and heated games.  The words this morning stung because it brought home how much my behavior represents Christ, too often in a negative way.

The United States went through a phase of t-shirts, bracelets, and other Christian merchandise that challenged us to ask”What Would Jesus Do?”  or “WWJD?” when confronted with a decision.  Apart from the superficial nature of t-shirt Christianity, I wonder if we would have been better served challenging believers to “LLJD” or “live like Jesus did.”  I’m sure there was no room in Jesus’ life for screaming at a 15 year-old basketball player no matter how hard the foul.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 9:20 (NIV)

…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

Christ is more popular than ever, it’s Christians people don’t like.  As a Christian who wants to put Christianity into practice, I need to do better; I want to do better, not because I have to, but because I want to be a great ambassador for the one who redeemed me back to God.  We are called to live like Jesus did, humble and gentle, patient, and with love. We need to live like Jesus did not just at church or when we face a tough decision, but at ball games, at work, at home, at school…

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

Credits

Phot0 by Mike Hoff used by permission through a creative commons attribution non-commercial license agreement