A Jew, A Muslim, and A Christian Walk Into a Drinking Establishment…

…and no one can tell which is which.

Sunday morning, a guy claiming to be saving more lives by his actions shot and killed Dr. George Tiller “The Baby Killer,” who has performed over 60,000 late term abortions in his career (that’s 60,000 fetuses destroyed at 22-40 weeks in which we know babies can survey out of the womb)

I’m a little torn on this issue because Tiller, and active member of his congregation, was killed in church, the murderer murdered the doc, but 60,000 human lives taken by one human is really hard to swallow. I am not in anyway excusing the crime that was committed and believe the killer should get his due process, trial, and conviction…even if one party had that right taken away from him.

The part of the story that burns me the most is both the “The Baby Killer” (which is his real nickname) and the murderer claimed to be a “Christians.” Something is wrong with either his interpretation of what a “Christian” is or his church is not doing a very good job teaching what it means to live like Christ.

Now the media is swarming over the idea of calling Christians in general Domestic Fundamental Terrorists and I am furious!!! First of all, why is this not just another murder? Because the victim happened to be an abortion doctor? Does that mean if someone murders a republican it is terrorism? What about a soldier just home from Iraq? Or a Christian just for being a Christian? Second of all, where are all the REAL Christ followers standing up fighting for their namesake? We are supposed to be different!

We are called to be in the world but not of it. We are called to engage culture but not be transformed by it. We are called to be set apart; obviously different from the rest of the world. Jon Piper calls this the paradox of the indigenous principle and pilgrim principle. he says,

• Yes, confrontation of the world! But also missionary adaptation.
• Yes, separation! But also cultural participation.
• No, not of the world! But yes, in the world.
• No, not conformed to this world! But yes, becoming all things to all people that we might save some.
• Yes, we are indigenous! But we are also strangers, pilgrims!

Because

• Creation is the Lord’s, yet fallen and in need of redemption.
• Christ is incarnate, yet crucified.
• Conversion is justification by faith alone, yet followed by the discipline of sanctification.
• The kingdom has already come, but not its consummation.

I’m tired of hearing about so called “Christians” making a fool of the rest of us. We need stand up and help destroy the resounding stereotype that plagues our reputation in our culture so the next generation and every generation to follow can know what it really means to be a Christ follower.

Are you with me?

Posted by willgoodwin