The Greatest Single Cause of Atheism

Once upon a time there was a christian band that went by the title 'DC Talk'.  They wrote a song that had an incredible impact on me as a preteen titled, 'What if I stumble'.  The song wrestled honestly with the question of hypocrisy within Christianity and the kind of pressure one can feel to not screw up.

I'm sure that as one of the most popular North American Christian artists of the time, this question was all too real for the members of DC Talk, but it is intended to be real for us as well.

The most chilling and gripping part of the already intense song is the very beginning.  It opens with a quote by Brennan Manning that sounds out like a gong amongst an already stand-out album.

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians; they acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.  That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

This rocked me at 12 years old, and in many ways still rocks me today.  It's convicting to be reminded that as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, my actions will be perceived as direct reflections of the character of Christ.

And why shouldn't they?  Certainly a part of the journey of being human is learning to have grace for ourselves and others amidst our brokenness and ideals; but a mark of responsibility, authenticity, and maturity in a person is how strongly they hold to their convictions.

Do pilots not believe in jet fuel?  Do doctors not believe in medicine?

Of course their practice goes much further than belief.  It has to!  Their lives revolve around those beliefs being true and practical and real.  Doctors lay their reputation on the line with every diagnoses.  Pilots place the lives of many at the feet of the altar of turbine engines and aerodynamics.

Do we do the same with Christ?

I'm not talking about bold-faced, conversion-centered evangelism.  I'm talking about allowing our belief in Christ to shape our every action and thought.

As the pilot engages the throttle, so shouldn't we engage the poor, the sick, and the needy?  As the doctor examines the patient with precision point criteria for health, so shouldn't we examine our hearts with precision point criteria for the fruits of the spirit?

Why would our belief in Jesus warrant any less practical, visceral responses than a surgeon to her stitches or a captain to his instruments?

Unless, of course, we don't actually believe.