A long time coming...

This blog post has been sitting as a draft for almost a year. I come back to it every so often but never get around to finishing it, let alone posting it. A few things have made me come back to it recently. Today in church we had a lesson on charity, which only reminded me further. The lesson along with a friend's blog a few weeks back inspired me to finish this. So today I'm starting from scratch in hopes of getting my thoughts out finally.

My friend Leslie posted a blog about Mormon's judging others. You can read it here. (Hope it's okay to share Leslie. :)

http://lesliemoon.blogspot.com/

She talks about many members, and non-members, of our church judging others to the point where they don't want to come to church. They don't want to be a part of a church where the members' judgement is completely opposite of it's teachings. Can you blame them?

Before Leslie wrote this blog I had many thoughts about that same subject. Similar experiences I had and those of close friends and family made me want to speak out as well. I wont get into details of those experiences, but I obviously never did speak out. And I was ashamed of myself as I saw Leslie courageously write such a post. So I'm not going to be silent about this anymore in hopes that maybe writing my feelings down will help me to move past them or figure out how to help in some way.

Judgement is a huge problem in our world. It's also, sadly, a huge problem in my religion. But I would go even further to say it's a huge problem among Christians. Christians who have "Christ" in their name, and preach love, kindness, and charity. We are taught to love our brother, serve one another, and treat others as we want to be treated from a very early age. It's in the primary manual lesson after lesson, reminding children what a Christian is. Sure it gets repetitive, but by the time you can really understand each lesson, it's no longer pushed as much. Maybe that's the problem? It seems silly to push those teachings on little children who can barely comprehend what love really is, but not to adults who interact with strangers on a fairly regular basis. (At least more regular than a child who doesn't need to be an example in their every day actions.) It's important to teach children to love their friends and treat everyone equally. But once the young child becomes a young adult should we assume the issue is engraved enough in their minds it no longer needs to be pushed? Big fat NO. When someone begins to comprehend what love really is, we should never assume they know how to properly express it. Because as an adult I have witnessed all kinds of unkindness around me. ESPECIALLY from Christians. And I just. don't. get. it. The world is an ugly place. But I won't tolerate and don't expect to feel the world's ugly among friends, loved ones, or fellow Christians.

WHY is it necessary to put someone down in order to gain something for yourself? WHY do we ignore someone else's needs because we have needs of our own? And especially, WHY don't we just love unconditionally like we are taught? I guess because we aren't perfect. Only Christ was. He loved unconditionally and never put the needs of himself above the needs of another. And certainly not to benefit himself.

But cant we at least TRY to be perfect? And I mean REALLY try. Not just say so, or sing about it in church songs. 

If you want to read about a true Christian's experience, there are all kinds of service blogs or books. One I highly recommend is Kisses From Katie. She has a blog, (kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com) and also an amazing book. She was a typical Christian all-American girl. Raised to love her neighbor as herself but very into material things and taking for granted all she had. Until she had the opportunity to see people who have NOTHING yet live like they have everything. Read her book. Please.

Maybe if we could all move to Uganda and adopt 15 children each while also housing and caring for other sick and dying people, it would click in our brains. Maybe we would understand that there is more to life than our reality TV , our Big Mac's, our stocked full closets, and our "precious" iPhones. We need to care about people. We NEED to practice what we preach and stop with the judgement and lack of true Christianity. For our earthly happiness, for our world, and for our eternal salvation. We need to. 

I might be a hypocrite for writing this because I know I have so much to be thankful for that I don't even think twice about. I know I have been unkind on more than one occasion. But I think about what it means to be Christ-like a few times a week and strive to do the things I conclude. I have been extremely disappointed in many people (some close to me) who don't seem to care about their legacy or eternal salvation. Trying not to judge their choices and lifestyle when it comes to how they treat others, but definitely don't understand them. Since my grandpa passed, I have really been thinking about what people say about you when you're gone. He didn't have one enemy. Not one. So many people have stopped me or other members of my family to tell us how sorry they are to lose such an amazing person. How would that be? Wouldn't it mean the world to your family and loved ones?

So stop putting others down. Stop talking about them behind their back. Stop judging them. Stop assuming you know more about their life than you do. Stop with the name calling of people different than you. Be Christ-like. Be kind. Speak nicely. Love everyone. No matter what their lifestyle or circumstance. Even Especially when it's different from yours. 

I don't know what else to say. I wish I had some profound statement that would make everyone have an "ah ha" moment. I'm not sure what it will take for Christians to act like Christians. I can only pray that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, and treating people the way I should. If you are reading this and feel I owe you an apology for not doing what I was supposed to, please allow me to do so. Whether just by reading this or by confronting me elsewhere. 

I want my children to look at me and think of Christ. When they are singing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" in primary I want them to really mean it. I want them to know what being a Christian truly means and show others by their actions. In order for those things to happen, my home, our church, and those we associate with must meet the criteria of true Christianity.

It's time to be better to each other. I'm going to try really hard to do the things I know are right. I hope you will too. 

Charity is the pure love of Christ and never faileth.

Here are a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon that I love and try to read on a regular basis as a good reminder. Whether you are LDS or not, they are words to live by ;)

Moroni 7:43-48

43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. 

44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity. 

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— 

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. 

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. (Book of Mormon, Moroni, Chapter 7)