As Christians, our statement is that we are striving to be Christ like in all that we do, meaning that we are trying to live a life that is reflective of how Christ lived when he walked this earth. The problem with that statement is that we tend to be the most judgemental people you can come across. We sit on this moral high seat calling out everyone else’s wrong doing whilst failing to see our own issues that are in plain sight. Yes, we are the definitions of hypocritical. Now that is the total opposite of Jesus. When he walked this earth he was without fault or blame. He did not commit a single sin even though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and carried a responsibility that all the prime ministers and presidents added together could never carry.
This was my reality a few years back. I looked at the world through the lens that some things were not acceptable in the eyes of God and those people were wrong. One of those areas where I was less than gracious was my attitude toward homosexual relationships. I had no issues with having friends who were homosexual and I treated them like I treated everyone else but in my heart I was judgemental towards them because all I did was think about ‘how wrong their lifestyle was in the eyes of God’. Now this is not an episode to debate theology or to go over what is politically correct or anything of that sort. I have a clear stance that everyone is the same, everyone deserves the same respect, love, care and rights as the person standing next to them. I can’t say I stand for black lives and not stand for Jewish lives, white lives, Indian lives etc. I also cannot say I stand for straight lives and not stand for gay lives, transgender lives or queer lives. The fact is this, in the eyes of God every life holds the same value and therefore I must stand for every life in the same way.
The shift in my thinking was brought on by a simple conversation with an older couple over coffee. I don’t know what started the conversation but I am glad we had it because I would not have shifted my understanding and perspective of grace if they hadn’t instigated the conversation about homosexuality.
I think we get so caught up in right and wrong that we forget that everybody is wrong in the eyes of God and therefore everyone is in need of his grace therefore nobody is better than anybody else and nobody has any right to condemn anyone else about their life. You may not agree with their lifestyle but guess what, they may not agree with yours! God certainly doesn’t agree with your lying or hypocrisy or gossip or slander or any of the little things we seem to forget are contrary to the expectations set by Jesus. We cherry pick what makes us comfortable and define our own laws and boundaries making ourselves the modern day Pharisees and legalistic people who lack true relationship with God.
The fact is that to have true relationship with God means to be compassionate and full of grace. It means accepting people for who they are and loving them regardless.
My journey in life helped me shape what the Daley Perspective and everything I share is an honest account, no matter how embarrassing it may be to say ‘yes, I once had these views’.
The Daley Perspective is #13 in Feedspot’s top 25 Christian Men podcasts.
