Show and Tell

“Saying no is good, but having an alternative is better. Protest is not enough; it is necessary to show a better way.”

That is the lesson Jim Wallis learned as he fought so hard to prevent America from going to war with Iraq. So he did provide an alternative. Read it here if you’re interested.

But an alternative to war isn’t the point of this post. As I read those words of his I couldn’t help but think of them as immensely appropriate to the Christian church in America today. The Church says “no” to all sorts of lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviors but doesn’t present the world with a compelling alternative. Yes, yes, I know the Church points to Christ and living the “Christian life” as the alternative, but I would argue that the Church does not “show a better way,” as Wallis puts it. Why else do you think so many in our world call Christians hypocrites? If we want to make a difference and have an impact on our world we can’t just say no because the Bible says so; we have to show a better way of living. And to do so means we have to start living out what we say we believe.