The Challenge of Coming to Jesus

One of the things that I have struggled with and in some ways almost regretted was that I lack a "come to Jesus" moment in my life. It is not that I have lived a perfect life, nor is it that I have never experienced God's grace after my mistakes and failings, it is simply that because of being raised in a strong faith community, I have never really known a life that was not about following Christ. I know I am not alone in this, but it has always made it a little harder for me to talk about and understand the process of someone "coming to Jesus" and giving themselves up fully to God and trusting in God's grace to save them.

I went to the dentist the other day, this is significant because throughout my life, dental hygiene has always been a weak point for me, something about my personality or something does not lend itself well to daily disciplines carried out over an extended period of time. For this reason, my trip to the dentist was overdue and certainly needed. The act of going to the dentist gave me a better understanding of what it is like to start seeking after faith. In order to go forward I need to recognized my nature as a dental sinner. As I filled out the paperwork for their records their questions further cemented in my mind how much a "sinner" I was. It took a certain amount of commitment and fortitude on my part to deal with all of this. Here I was, surrounded by all these people with clean, shining white teeth, further emphasizing my own fallen nature. It was a great humbling and enlightening experience. I gained a great deal of insight and respect for those people who find a way to turn towards faith. It certainly offered me some insights into what I need to do in the church to try and make it a more welcoming place for people who struggle and are in great need of grace. There is a reason that alcoholics seek each other for support and do not simply try and surround themselves with people who never drink. There is a reason that old established churches do not always attract unchurched people. The danger of the church is that as we experience grace and begin to improve, we lose the empathy we have for those who are still struggling. I know I have heard people in the church talk about those outside the church and wonder, usually about those young people, and how they can live such terrible lives. Those of us on the inside wonder how they can ignore the need for grace in their lives and keep living like that. As I think about it, the reality for me dentally speaking, was not an ignorance of my "fallen" state, nor was it because I did not know what I needed to do to make my life better. What held me back was the shame of admitting my problem, of having to bring my imperfect and flawed smile to be treated by people with apparently glistening teeth. Going to the dentist I had no way of knowing the cavities my hygienist had gotten in her life, and so even though she did not mean, I felt judged in comparison. I think we in the church are guilty of the same, hiding our sin and in doing so we hurt ourselves and all those who are struggling with their own shame who do not see our darkened nature, but only the glistening appearance we show to the world. We in the church need to continue offer grace, but also to continue to remember how much we need it as well, to share our failings so others are comfortable sharing theirs too.