Let’s Get Real!

My highest hope is for all of us to stop trying to fool others by appearing to have our act together. As people living in intimate union with God, we need to become better known for what and who we actually are. Perhaps a good place to begin would be telling the world – before the world does its own investigation – that we’re not as bad as they think. We’re worse. At least I know that I’m worse.

Let’s get real. For every mean-spirited, judgmental thing some preacher has said, I’ve thought something nastier, more hateful and more cutting about one of my neighbours. For every alleged act of homophobia by my fellow Christians, I’ve done something stupid to demonstrate my manliness. For every brother or sister whose moral failure has been exposed, I’ve failed privately. No matter how boring followers of Jesus may appear to be to the outsiders, they don’t know the half of it; trust me . . . If we really believe the gospel we proclaim, we’ll be honest about our own beauty and brokenness, and the beautiful broken One will make himself known to our neighbours through the chinks in our armor – and in theirs.

– Fil Anderson, Breaking the Rules: Trading Performance for Intimacy with God , as quoted in “All Is Grace” by Brennan Manning.