There is wisdom in the playground adage that every time we point a finger at others we have three more pointing back at ourselves. It’s true for adults too, who are given to hurling accusations against those who are just like us. Christian A complains to Christian B about what a horrible gossip Christian C is, and neither one smells the odor of irony. Or Christian Writer skewers the whole of the Christian church for its abominable judgmentalism. Then there’s the one about what dishonest and lazy laborers Christians are. We have all heard, and likely passed on urban legends about the curse of the Ichthus. The Ichthus, you will remember, is the little fish symbol that was once used by early Christians as a sort of code language to recognize each other. Now we see it in one of two places. Either it adorns the back of our cars, letting those whom we have cut off in traffic know that they have just been cut off in Jesus’ name. Or, we see it in advertising. Here, as with its ancient use, the idea is to communicate to other believers that our business is run by believers. The legendary curse is that both Christians and non-Christians in the know about the symbol actually see the symbol as a sure sign to work with someone else. Putting the Ichthus in your webpage ad, or on your billboard, or on your work truck, the story goes, tells experienced people to not use your company, because, everyone knows that Christians are notoriously lazy, dishonest and greedy.
Now my goal here isn’t to argue with the accuracy of this perception. Truth be told, I find it a little hard to believe. I’m perfectly willing to believe that Christians can be lazy, dishonest and greedy. I’m skeptical, however, that as a group they are any more lazy, dishonest or greedy than others. Even if such an assessment is accurate, however, what puzzles me is the giddy speed with which Christians are willing to point out this supposed flaw. What kind of Christian speaks this way about “those Christians”?
In the first place, the speaker, if the assessment is true, is likely one of those Christians that are likewise given to laziness, dishonesty and greed. If these weaknesses are pandemic in our midst, how can we be so confident that we too haven’t been infected? Do these brothers actually think that the lazy, dishonest and greedy Christians are aware that they are lazy, dishonest and greedy? If instead they are unaware, shouldn’t we be a little more diligent about checking ourselves before accusing amorphous others?
Second, how did lazy, dishonest and greedy Christians become a them problem, instead of a we problem? That is, why are we so quick to complain about this reality, rather than mourn for it? Even if I as an individual do not struggle with sin x, if my people do, then it is our problem together. When, for instance, I point out the foibles of Reformed people, and they are many, I am pointing out where we tend to go wrong, not where they tend to go wrong. If we Christians are lazy, dishonest and greedy, the proper posture isn’t pointing but praying. The proper posture isn’t accusing but repenting.
I pray there will come a day when even those outside the kingdom will be able to say of us, “If you ever need to hire someone, try to find one of these Christians. They’ll work until the cows come home.” I pray with even greater fervor that there will come a day when even those outside the kingdom will be able to say of us, “Say what you will about those lazy, judgmental Christians, but they sure do stick together, and they sure are quick to repent.”
