Why I Can No Longer Call Myself a Christian

I've been hearing something emerge in recent articles and talks that words matter and a lot of words have lost their meaning. Krista Tippett, host of On Being, said that words like love and compassion have been used so much that they have lost their meaning. I just read a recent article in the Washington Post about how words used by the Nazis are making a resurgence in Germany and some politicians are trying to give them new meaning. That has gotten me thinking about the term Christian and what it has come to mean in America.

The book of Acts tells us that after the death and resurrection of Christ it was in Antioch that the apostles and followers of "The Way" were first called "Christians." Relevant Magazine does a pretty good job in this article of describing how they got to be described as "little Christs" for their radical divergence from the society at large. The fire of God was falling, everywhere they went people were getting healed and delivered, and they lived in such a radical selflessness and generosity in their communities that there were no poor among them. Paul and Silas were accused of "causing trouble all over the world" (NIV) or turning "the world upside down."(ESV) Something they were doing was upending the way things had been done.

And what was the result? Thousands were added to their number daily. It frightened the establishment.

Now flash forward to America right before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Is the establishment frightened of Christians? No, quite the contrary, they pander to evangelicals! Are people flocking to our churches to become part of our communities? No- the institutional church has steadily been on the decline. Are we going against the establishment, the wealth inequality, and the injustice in a radical example to the world of selflessness and generosity? If we are I do not think the world has taken notice.

A friend recently told me it was not her church who brought her soup when she was sick (even though they were aware she had been very ill for about a month), it was her yoga friends.

As many of you know I was fired after the birth of my son and have since had to go on government assistance. During this time the bishop of the church I used to attend came and preached on the community from Acts 2 and how they lived in fellowship and held everything in common. Afterwards I wrote to one of the pastors and said it was very hard to listen to that message as I was struggling to have enough food to get through the month to feed my family. I am still waiting for that denomination to sell off some property and help us out!

Ok, so before you might think I am just cynical or speaking out of hurt from the church let me just stop you, I have been very involved in every congregation I have attended. I have sought to bring about change to the behemoth that is the institutional church. I was very hurt by a brother and I forgave him and went to another congregation and then came back to support his ministry again. I have done the work of reconciliation.

But I'm not doing it any more. Today, watching the demise of Aleppo something in me just screamed, "I can have nothing more to do with this!" I was watching a video where a middle aged man cried out in the streets, "WHERE ARE THE MUSLIMS?" In their final video goodbyes to the world I watched them say, "WHO WILL GET ANGRY FOR ALEPPO?" They were begging, pleading, screaming, for anyone to help them... and we could not, did not answer. When that man cried out, "Where are the Muslims?" my spirit cried out, "WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?!?"

I don't know where we are, but we're not seeing Jesus standing in the lowly places like St. Ignatius said. Instead we're defending the billionaire class and their right to exploit others with our prosperity gospel. We're too busy as a nation serving Mammon.

So folks I'm out! I will NO LONGER CALL MYSELF A CHRISTIAN. I don't want to be a part of what that has come to represent. I don't want to be lumped in with evangelicals- God bless the kind and caring souls that I know many of you to be. Like Paul said to the Corinthians, "I have resolved to know nothing except for Christ and him crucified." And I mean it. This is not a phase. If I have to check a box of what religion I belong to I will check other. If you ask me what religion I am I will say "child of God." But there is no way I'm going to be called Christian if this is what it has come to mean.

Gandhi perhaps famously said it best, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it's not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time."

If you are my friend and you are a Christian, you can still be my friend. I may visit church, but for me there is no more belonging to a church. I will seek to instead live out koinonia from my home and EVERYONE is welcome.

This is not a reaction. This has been a long time in the coming. And I think many people feel this way.

*Disclaimer- I know that a good number of individuals are doing great work for the poor and the vulnerable. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking about what our institutional church has come to mean. I'm talking about OVERALL what the term Christian has come to mean. So if you or somebody you know IS actually living the Gospel. Great job! Keep up the good work!*