Offering a unique glimpse into secular culture, “All the Damn Christians: A Glimpse into the Mirror of Hypocrisy” creates a better understanding of the people we are called to reach by revealing their mindset, their thoughts, perceptions, doubts, and fears when it comes to Christianity, its followers, and its message.
Christianity is a proposition which creates a powerful hope. It offers a path to life, forgiveness, and redemption. But to so many people who are hearing our message, Christianity has taken on meanings that are misleading and off course. This lure of hope is dependent on trust in Christians … we ask them to trust us because we live in truth. But what is the emotional impact when this trust is broken? Sometimes the real hope that Christianity offers is rejected not because of the message, but because of the messengers.
Too often, the result is that the message isn’t getting through.
“They are lazy about standing up for their beliefs, or they are pushy.
They do not work together effectively.
They tend to be more worldly than spiritual and therefore do not make a convincing testimony.”
Threaded throughout this book are the voices of real folks telling the stories which illustrate how people invest their deepest emotions of hope into this concept. But why are so many people hurt and disillusioned by something so beautiful and filled with hope?
We can learn how to better convey our message by examining several principles of communication which are exemplified by responses in the study. Are we not telling others our story on a regular basis because it just isn’t a priority, or because we really don’t know it well enough to tell someone? It is our very silence which leads to mis-presentations and misrepresentations. This is because we are routinely allowing others to tell our story for us. Is this the hodge-podge gospel so many are “rejecting” today?
Our own actions, inconsistencies, and misrepresentations are fueling these stereotypes, perpetuating an endless cycle we call the echo effect. In other words, an endless circle. The world has gained momentum because the way our message is being communicated is too often a counterfeit – a half-told story. But there is hope.
“I know sometimes people have a reputation for being hypocrites and it frustrates me because we aren’t perfect. That’s why we need Jesus. People need to look past this. The church has sinners.”
Fact: We have the ability and the strength to take back the gospel, individually and collectively, and to tell it the way Christ intended it to be told. It is the most amazing story and the best possible news we could ever tell anyone about.
“I was a very lonely unhappy person inside, full of pain, anger, resentment. Then I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I accepted him as my Lord and Savior and instantly had peace in my heart and have been a new person since.”
People want relationships – they can intuitively sense the honest, the genuine – and they gravitate to it. Relationship building starts with individuals, those closest to us. Spending time listening to and valuing the opinions and ideas of others will create not only a rapport, but a foundation of communication and trust from which we can begin to establish and cultivate new relationships. The message, within the context of our own experience, is what others want to hear. But we must be real and we must be vulnerable. With this perspective, suddenly it’s not just a duty or a script to follow – but an opportunity to share life.
This book is a journey of personal challenge and devotion which leads to action. Through actual stories, it will guide you through achievable steps to approach and help others. Ultimately, it is meant to encourage your spiritual growth, allowing the love of Christ to flow through you into the lives of others.
If you care about truly reaching people where they are, then you need to read this book. It will provide insight into secular culture and help you more empathetically find points of contact to genuinely connect with individuals of any generation. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could tell Christ’s story the way He intended it to be told?