The other day, I
ran across a show on the web called “Red Letter Christians.” These are mostly young people who are striving
to live a life more directed by the teachings of Jesus, especially the Sermon
on the Mount. They are often criticized
by political conservative Christians because they support initiatives that are
most often associated with liberal politics. Regardless of what you think of
their particular stances, they raise a good question: are we living the life
that Jesus taught about? Is our church a
place, for instance, where the last is first?
Far too often, we are just a nicer version of the world. We are motivated by the same things that the
world is motivated by: we just tack Jesus on the end. We want wealth and Jesus. We want power and Jesus. Is this really what Jesus died for?