A Letter to the Christian Church

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  This is specifically to the Christian Church in the United States. If it applies to any other part of the Church, please feel free to share it with them. 
~~~

  Dear Church, 

  It seems that -even in this time of distress and fear- we have been brought down to a low place. It seems that the chaos we experience both on a collective and individual level is a climatic sign of our sin and our transgression, and -the main focus of writing to you- our iniquity. This iniquity is our lack of care toward others, especially those in need.

  Now, I hear many of you retorting back to me: "But I give to my church/food bank/homeless shelter/charity! I do what I can by volunteering too! What do you mean I don't care?!" And to that, I say this: Thank you for doing that. Now do more.

  As an individual, any Christian (or non-Christian, for that matter) knows the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. For some reason, we seem to be happy to affirm this but avoid the homeless guy because we think he's going to get drugs or alcohol with it. If you are truly a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ, you would give him a bit of money without judging him. And that goes for anyone who feels that they only get to donate money without getting involved in the whole "take care of each other" business. We all know very well that the Love of Christ should be passed along to others.

  As a collective, we as a Church construct monolithic church buildings and discuss whose church is the "right church" or the "true church," even as Jesus tells us (just as he told the young ruler in his time) to sell all we have and give the money to the poor. (Luke 18:22) So perhaps instead of counting and hoarding every penny we make, we can come together and use the money to build and fund homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, and food banks while we worship in a temple together. The luxury is not ours to keep to ourselves, but to share as part of our love for God and for the creation he had made. Even the humans we ignore, or the ones we wish would leave town so "everything will be safe again." These people are just that ... people. The fact that we as Christians will not stand up and do what Jesus would have done to help them is a disgrace on the standards of Christianity and of all churches associated with this religion built on the lives of those who were considered the worst of the worst in Biblical times. 

  I am so ashamed of us as Christians to the point where I don't want to be labelled as a Christian anymore. If my own religious background and its followers cannot follow its leader, then what is the point of being set apart? I am just really glad that God and Jesus are as forgiving and as patient with us. I wouldn't be if I was them. 

  Perhaps this is one of the reasons younger people are leaving churches. They might realize -whether consciously or subconsciously- how little the Church right now is doing for those who need help the most. I will wait for the day the Church changes.

With sorrow and yearning for better, 
Animus

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