Sunday, in his sermon, the pastor here basically lectured all of us for hiding our faith. We all do it. We're closet Christians up here. It's ok to be openly gay, but to be Christian is frowned upon. We don't speak about our faith unless we're spoken to.
The pastor's reasoning for our silence was a little superficial, saying we've allowed liberalism and freedom of religion to stifle our own. But that's not all of it. Freedom of religion here in Quebec means freedom for those who practice any religion which has never repressed or oppressed any society at any time.
Sure, you can be openly Jewish here. But be prepared to handle the abundant stereotypes you'll get as a result. And yes, you can be openly Muslim too, and you're even allowed to wear the full hijab in public. But be ready for derogatory comments along with the stereotypes. And alright, Christians, you can be Christian too, just so long as nobody hears about it and you don't go near any of their children either.
Well, unless it's important to their Catholic grandmother that their babies be baptized. Then that one day, during that half hour window, you're allowed to talk about God or Jesus, but only in a superficial, meaningless, traditional way or to joke about how surprising it is that nobody who was present in the church got struck by lightning (so far) nor melted in the presence of holy water.
It's a freedom of freedom of religion. It's freedom of anti-religion.
You can be openly religious, but in being so, you are entitling others to be anti-religious towards you. How that is freedom is beyond me. It just seems like while one group is quiet to avoid belittling, mocking and hate, the other group is trapped in its desire to hate, mock and belittle.
Since when is silence freedom? Since when is hate freeing?
And so the pastor drilled into us saying that people elsewhere in the world are dying for their faith. They're getting beaten and raped for it. What do we face? Mocking? Losing friends? Being ostracized from society? How is any of that bad enough that we hide our Christianity?
And then he decided we all should sing "The Summons" twice. Well, hear the praise team sing it once and then sing it once.
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Yeah, it's cheesy, but we really don't do that here. We all needed that lecture, I think, especially me. One of the reasons it's so hard to find Christian fellowship here is because we're all hiding it. I've asked people straight up if they're Christian and they say no when I know in their heart, they feel they are.
I can't say no anymore, but at the same time, I still don't bring it up unless I'm asked or unless somebody disses my Jesus (you're not allowed to diss my Jesus).
But I still haven't stuck that fish on my car. I know it's not a big deal, but it is to me. Sticking it on isn't a big deal, but not sticking it on is... I don't know what I'm so afraid of. Sure, my car might get vandalized, but really, that happens here all the time anyway. If the car's going to get scratched up, it may as well be because I showed my faith.
The pastor went on to talk about how he was watching a reality show on one of the US networks where one of the contestants was asked what he'd do with the winnings if he won, and the guy said on national television, "First, I'd tithe to my church," and even more shockingly, the host of the show replied, "Amen, brother. Amen!" We all laughed at that because here, that would never happen. Neither the declaration of tithing, nor the reaction of support.
I realized right then that I don't even know my own politicians' view of spirituality. I went to the website of the guy I voted for in the last federal election and trolled around looking for any clue as to where he stood spiritually and there was nothing. On wikipedia too. Not a word about his religious background. So I direct messaged him on Twitter and am anxiously awaiting a reply.
Really, what could be more important than your own spiritual health? And if it's so important to me, why has it never bothered me that I have no idea where the people I vote in to run my country are in their quest for God?
That's not to say I'd vote for somebody just because they're Christian, but would I vote for somebody who has no spirituality at all?
And I know, no matter how much Matt Chandler, Tyler Jones, Mark Driscoll and even John Piper might get the Gospel and get what it means to be Christian and teach it very well, they don't know what it's like to be Christian here. I would guess that Tim Keller kind of gets it, but even then, my NYC friends are far more open about their faith than anybody I know up here.
It might seem kind of wussy and so elementary school, trying so hard not to get made fun of, but words do hurt and in a place where it is so hard to keep your faith in Jesus along with your faith in humanity, sometimes it just feels best to lay low.
And then we think, "Well, if I just had a bigger community of Christians," or "If I was stronger in my faith," or whatever other reason we use to excuse ourselves, then we'd stand up for Jesus and share the Gospel.
I'm just one person and there's so much spiritual drowning going on around me. I'm only me. I'm a newbie. I might have passion for the gospel, but what if I run out of tools? What if I run out of energy and burn out? That's no better either, right?
But where is my faith in God? Where is my desire to let Him have His will and way in my life? Where is my trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me wherever I need to be? And did the men of the early church really love God more than I do? Why should it matter whether I'm uncomfortable, hurt, betrayed, resentful, or just tired? This is the word of God. This is the Gospel. If I really believe it with all my soul, then what happens to me shouldn't matter.
The Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five explain clearly how we should put ourselves out there for Jesus, enduring insults and even risking persecution.
Matthew 5:14-16 say this:
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
And yet, I still haven't stuck that insignificant fish on my car.
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