Snippet: Bullies and Saints
Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.
Here’s one from John Dickson talking about his takeaway from writing Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History:
“I had an increased wariness and weariness at Christian bad behavior, and a heightened sensitivity about the bullies and how easy it is for anyone, especially religiously gifted or powerful people to become bullies and to use their faith as cover…. At the same time I have an intensified love for the original melody that Jesus proclaimed. ...love your enemies, which he took all the way to the cross. And that in every century of Christianity, even the worst centuries, there were always reformers, prophets, people who will put their hand up and say, ‘Hang on. We don’t look at all like what Jesus said. We are worse than the unbelievers of the world.’ And they caused revivals and reforms to break out. …I am convinced that there is within Christianity an inbuilt corrective mechanism where when people glance back at the gospels they go, ‘Oh my goodness, we don’t look like that!’”
This dovetails with a recent snippet post I did (quoting Tish Harrison Warren) on our faith and the church needing reform, not “deconstruction” (in the sense that the historical basics of faith are abandoned or dismantled).
Of course, some people feel they can no longer believe in orthodox Christian faith or any other form of Christianity, and “deconstructing” is necessary or, in a sense, has already happened.
But for those who want to believe, but the disappointment in the church or in other followers of Jesus is too much, I think there is another path.
You might say, “I’m not a prophetic type.” If so, I would suggest that there are whole enclaves you can find within the larger church where the prophets have been heard and where faithfulness is more common..
It may take a while to find, but if you want to believe and follow Jesus, and you know it’s not really possible on your own, it’s worth it.