The statement, “I like your Christ, but not your Christianity,” has been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. It serves as a wake-up call to all of us. In many cultures today, Christianity is viewed as a foreign faith, and Christians are distrusted or despised. According to Barna Research Insitute, 80% of non-Christians in the USA distrust pastors and have a negative view of the church. In contrast, younger generations view Christians as primarily defined by “what they oppose” - “judgmental,” “out of touch” and “irrelevant.” Internationally, the Christian faith has often and tragically become associated with dependency on foreign aid, corruption, and the cancellation of local cultures.
The fruitful work of WIN and WIN Life demonstrate what God can do when we courageously earn the trust of the people to whom we are sent. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been transformed by Christlike love in regions and communities once considered unreachable. What about your community? Your workplace or your sphere of influence? How do others see you? Do they say, “There is a person who reflects Jesus?” “There is a person who loves unconditionally?” “There is a person I can trust?”
Let’s stop passively dismissing persecution or indifference as inevitable. Let’s proactively repair breaches and provide every opportunity for Jesus to be adored instead of scorned.