Yesterday I got a call from an old friend. I would guess it has been at least 30 years since we had talked. We are both in full time ministry so we had a few war stories to trade. The conversation was relatively short but it brought some frightening thoughts to mind.

Much like my post yesterday about me being the greatest threat to my marriage, I’ve come to believe the greatest threat to Christianity is Christians. While we write our congressmen and women, while we sign our petitions protesting this or that and while we boycott this or that product I wonder how much good were really doing? If this energy was taken and given to feeding the hungry, the pursuit of justice for the oppressed and just loving our neighbors wouldn’t the Kingdom be better off? Some how in our protest, boycotting and general reaction to our society we seem to do more harm then good.

If 25 years of ministry have taught me anything it’s that the world does a great job at being the world. It’s blind ignorance on the part of Christians to think we will change the world’s behavior through our protesting their values, actions or thoughts. What we need is for those who call themselves disciples to be a better at being disciples. The Kingdom of God will affect this fallen world the way it always has, one person at a time. Jesus taught the way to change this world is by picking up a towel, not a petition.

I’m sure there is a place for writing our congressional representative, protest and boycotting but those are tools of this world, not of the Kingdom. I think we would do well to use the tools of the Kingdom to accomplish the goals of the Kingdom.