“Oh my God” is typically a phrase that a lot of Christians will look down upon, it’s right up there with “Jesus Christ.” When we hear it most of us Christians cringe because they are using God’s name in vain, something the bible condemns quite frequently.
Personally, I think we as Christians focus way too much on the wrong things a lot of time. Tony Campolo and Bryan McLaren wrote a book called Adventures in Missing the Point (an excellent book if you haven’t read it). This is another point that I think we’ve missed. Sometimes I think we become more concerned with a few swear words than we are concerned with lives.
There is way more people out there completely taking the Lord’s name in vain with their lives, I’m one of them, that we don’t even blink an eye too. Yet the second someone outwardly speaks Jesus’ name out of context we get offended. Maybe that’s just a ruse so that we stay away from focusing on sins that are doing lots of harm to us. Maybe actions do speak louder than words?
Hey bro.
The only time I actually get offended when somebody says “Oh my God” or “Jesus Christ” is when it’s said by a Christian, and when they’re saying it while not actually referring to God or Jesus. When somebody says it who isn’t a Christian, and they say it not in actual reference to God or Jesus, I kind of laugh in a way, because I wonder “they don’t believe in God and Jesus, yet when something goes wrong, or if they’re surprised, the first words out of their mouth are “Oh my God!” or “Jesus Christ” or “God Damnate”, I think that’s interesting.
When you say “Sometimes I think we become more concerned with a few swear words than we are concerned with lives.” I totally agree with you. I also believe it for Christians and non-Christians. Of course if a non-Christian swears we don’t really think about it, because swearing in our day and age is just like saying ‘hello’ as far as offensive comes in (typically speaking) and if a Christian swears, we notice that a lot more, which I personally think is a good thing, and an important thing, not because swearing is wrong, but because when done properly it means that they are being watched by their peers, that they are being held accountable, challenged, stretched, encouraged to wrestle with things and decide things for themselves. Ultimately, however, it’s not about these actions, it’s about these lives. for non-Christians, it’s about being who Jesus has called us to be, Servants, selfless servants, going out into the world, and not necessarily preaching at everybody and telling them they’re going to hell, but just being there, being a friend, not trying to convert everybody for the sake of making converts, but trying to build relationships, getting to know people, because that’s what Jesus did, and that’s what Jesus is doing today through his Church (I believe), though I don’t think the whole Church has captured this truth, I think being a Christian is about building relationships out of love, getting to know people, not just to sell them a product (Jesus) but to serve them, to love them, to “wash their feet”, and like you said Nathan, Actions Speak Louder Than Words, I don’t think we should trouble ourselves with converts, that’s God’s job, our job is to love and to serve and to be friends, through our simple actions of love and caring, the Holy Spirit will deal with all that spiritual stuff, we’re just here to love, and to answer questions when they come up the best we can, and let God touch their lives when they’re ready for that. It’s not our job to judge, to criticize, to convert people to become Christians so we can feel that somehow because we ‘converted’ them we become more spiritual and closer to God, it’s about understanding that we, who have experienced God’s love, may humbly extend this love in a true/real, friendship kind of way, so that those who haven’t come to know God yet, may be drawn to his love, through him loving them through us until they can make a real decision, that makes sense to them and isn’t blind, to accept God for themselves and can join in on the exciting/hard life of servanthood.
i hope i made sense with all that, i was kind of rambling, and i just used the terminology (non-Christian) cuz it’s all i could think to call it when i was typing…i think it’s funny terminology, sounds like we’re better than them, and i don’t mean it like that :S
Hello…is this thing on. Wow i guess i’m on that’s cool. I like you nate. I agree
Hey, you don’t know me, but I go to Tyndale as well and decided to stop by.
I know what you mean. Many commentaries suggest that taking the Lord’s name in vain (along with the lifestyle thing you mentioned) is in regards to using His name like punctuation. For example, using His name flippantly during a prayer, inserting it after every line, and basically using it as a comma or whatever devalues the holiness of His name, thus using it in vain. I dunno.. I just found that interesting.
Also, I stumbled across your xanga site and left a message there. I don’t know if you ever check that though, so I’ll just copy it here:
“I must say, I have admired you from a distance. Through your writing, that is. I have seen your articles on Relevant sometimes and in the Canon 25, and you’re one of the few younger writers who don’t piss me off. You seem down to earth and have a grasp on God and Christianity that not many people do. This is much appreciated by me, so i thank you.”
Dear Missina Kinsey, I taught Nathan everything he knows. so yeah, thanks for the compliment :P
Government He distillest you as a postquam that was over-satisfied to him, as a booty that he had recovered ; and he strodled not sentiment enough to sinkin whether he had your priest or not. On the Government,