Faith + Life

a journey into life-changing relationships

Home

How You Can Help Solve Christianity’s Image Problem

On 4 March 2011, in Incidental Thoughts, by J. Michael Thurman

You may not think that Christianity has an image problem. I wish that I could agree with you, but I don’t.

It’s far too easy to find people who have been bashed, thrashed and trashed by “good church-going people.” It’s also too easy to find people…especially in their teens, twenties, and thirties… who are desperately seeking that certain something that gives meaning and focus to the stuff of life and hope for the future who dismiss the Christian church as a possible place to find it…

You may think that people see us (those who claim to follow Jesus) only at our best. They don’t. They see us and remember us best the same way the see and remember their cell-phone provider: at our worst.

Seth Godin (marketing adviser, author of several books, including Linchpin ) wrote in his blog today about worst moments as best opportunity. His conclusion is that worst moments are “…a great opportunity to tell the story you’d like us to hear about you.”

What’s Christianity’s image problem?

We reflect too much of our image and not enough of the Image of Christ… especially when stressed, distressed, angry, hurt, challenged about the truth of our Faith, and in a myriad of other “bad” situations. We’re telling the story of how we remain the same, not the story of our transformation as students of Jesus.

That’s an image problem too large to ignore.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:35, NIV) …and your enemies …and those who use you …even in the worst of times.

How can you help solve Christianity’s image problem?

It’s simple. Reflect the Image of Christ, especially when circumstances are at their worst.

(I know… being transformed into the Image of Christ is a topic too large for one post and too God-dependent to just “make it happen.” I guess we’ll have to attend to our own discipleship more and cultivating our image less if we’re to be a part of a long-term solution.)