The Questioning Heart

"Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'"

~ Mark 9:24

I've been reading through the book of Mark lately.  It is regarded as the earliest of the Gospels and seems to have provided much of the text that Matthew and Luke borrowed from as well.  All this aside, the stories are what really matter - and that's what I've been put in awe by lately.

Mark 9 tells the story of a boy possessed with a demon.  This, however, is not your ordinary, run of the mill devil.  It's an immensely powerful and profoundly evil entity that has gained complete control over the child's body and senses. It's during one of the child's fits of convulsions that Jesus walks onto the scene.

By far, the most profound bit of this story is not the healing that Jesus performs himself, but the story of the faith possessed by the boy's father.  We learn through the father's words to Jesus that he has taken care of his son for many long years.  In fact, the boy has been demon-possessed since birth.  Anyone who has dealt with a chronic illness in their own bodies or in within their close family knows just how taxing and downtrodding such a situation can be.  Often, it can drag you to the depths of despair and hold you there.  We see from the few words we're given from his mouth that the father's faith in God has been shaken by this constant struggle.

To me, the crescendo of this story occurs in verses 23 and 24.  In verse 23, Jesus tells the father that it's not a question of if his son can be healed; rather, it comes down to whether the father believes and has the faith to make it happen - as faith can "move mountains", as Christ says elsewhere.  The father's response to this struck a deep nerve to me.  Truly, it is one of the most life changing verse I've read in the scriptures to date.  The father says in verse 24: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!".  That's an amazingly deep idea.

What is the father saying?  When he states "I do believe", he is admitting to Christ that he has always believed in God - he has never once doubted His existence or power.  He doesn't stop with that, though.  He goes on to confess that He has doubts, which cause him to not believe in some aspects of His walk with God.  He has lost some faith in God's ability to follow through, because of the long turmoil he has suffered with his son.

For me, this idea parallels my struggles during the past year or so.  I have never ceased to believe that God exists.  I have, however, been fraught with questions concerning the doctrine of the church, the accuracy of some of scripture, and the beliefs many people in the church have about God.  I will admit that I still am questioning - which, to a certain extent is a good thing.  It also puts a stumbling block in my walk with Christ, though, which is never healthy.

Jesus' response to the father's statement provides a solution.  After hearing the father's words, He rises and heals the child.  It's that simple. Our lesson?  It's not wrong to have questions.  It's not a sin to wonder if everything you've heard all your life is the truth. In all our questioning, though, we must believe that Christ can help us overcome our unbelief.  It's this act of humble admission that we're weak and failing that touched Jesus' heart and resulted in the casting out of the child's demon.  Practicing this same act in our daily struggles of faith will result in the exorcism of our doubt.

Homophobic Christians

The title got your attention didn't it?  Using extreme terms usually does.  Which leads to my point. We live in an age of extremes.  There's extremists, extreme sports, extreme liberals, and extreme conservatives.  It's so "extreme" that it is overwhelming at times.  Sadly, Christianity is often a part of this trend. How? I'm glad you asked.  Be prepared for a long-winded answer.

People with a cause
Our journey into the paradoxical extremes of modern Christianity starts with the most obvious - and most often media-covered - group of "radical conservatives".  This group ranges from people who condemn gays and lesbians to individuals who murder abortion practitioners in cold blood.  Obviously, the most common of these people are the former - the people who have a "cause".

Presently, the cause that is dominant among this group is known in the media as "homophobia" or "gay bashing".  This topic will be the main theme of our discussion. While Christians may scoff at being attributed these labels, they often never consider why they are being thrown at them.  Being called these names should actually reveal something to us: that we're not approaching the homosexual issue in the proper manner.  Obviously, we can't please everyone as sin clouds people's minds; but perhaps we can be a little more Christ-like in our calling out of this type of sin.

How Christ can make you cringe
Christ wasn't a rabble-rouser, as so many "homophobic Christians" are.  Rather, he was accepting of everyone.  Let's stop and think about this.  Saying that Christ was accepting of all individuals - regardless of their lifestyle - is enough to make most Christians cringe. Why? Because it means that we can no longer attribute our intolerant feelings towards certain groups to the attitude of Christ.  This puts many of us in an uncomfortable position. When faced with the fact that our own prejudices aren't the real answer to the question "WWJD?", it means that we need to change more than the homosexuals do.  Remember, Christ said that we need to make sure we're on par with scripture before we point out the sin in others.

First and foremost , we need to be accepting of all people. This, however, brings us dangerously close to the other extreme of modern Christianity: the current trend to accept both people and their sin. This idea not fit the mold of a Christian that Jesus set either.  All we have to do is look in scripture. In every example we have of Christ encountering sinners, he is incredibly clear that he love the person, but he always points out their sin.  How he does this varies, but we consistently get the impression that he does it in a manner that does not condemn the individual, but their sin.

Many modern churches make the second mistake that I described above.  They never get to the point of using God's Word to convict people of their sin.  Some even go so far as to condoning it.  This is a very dangerous line to cross, as Christ did not do this either.  A great example of Christ's attitude in this area is his experience with a woman that religious leaders of his day caught in the "very act" of adultery.  In other words, the woman was found in bed with a man other than her husband.  In an attempt make him stumble in his ethical considerations, the religious leaders brought the woman before Christ and asked him what they should do.  What Christ did was astonishing, and something that we should pay careful attention to.  First, he told the hypocritical teachers that whoever among them had no sin in their lives could provide the first action of judgement.  This caused the leaders - rather than Jesus - to stumble on their words.  As a result, they withdrew and skulked off.  What Jesus did next should be our example.  He had already proven that he was not going to judge - but accept - her.  After this, he told her to "Go, and sin no more".  That's the key for us to remember.

Christ was a bipartisan
Using these two principles that Christ exemplified to us, we can be rid of the extremes of radical conservatism and politically correct liberalism.  Christ's method was exactly in the middle.  He spit in the face of legalism when he accepted the woman as an individual that was not only important to God, but important to him.  He then broke the sugar coating of liberal Christianity by calling out the woman's sin in love.

When we set Christ's method of evangelism and the two paradoxical methods of the conservative and liberal Christians side by side, we see a staggering difference.  Neither of the modern views match up with Christ's.  Why? Because Christ was a bipartisan.  He knew that extremism never changes anyone.  It ruins your ministry, image, and influence.  By following the path of extremism you either look like a bigot or a pushover.  You'll never see souls saved, and you'll hinder the Kingdom of God on earth.

Have you heard the one about a lesbian walking into a church?
Knowing all of this, what should Christians do when a homosexual walks into their church? You simply accept them. You should even go a step further: love them. That simple act will seem radical to them, after hearing the hatred and dogmaticism from the rest of the Christian community. 

Next, you preach the Bible.  You follow Christ's example in calling out their sin in love.  You stick to your doctrinal guns while at the same time holstering your personal views.

Refrain from extremism.  Pursue love.  Be stern.

Simply put: you act like a homochristian.