Repent America (and Why They Need to Shut Up)

I know, I know. You think that a group called repent America couldn't be all bad. I mean, after all, they are calling America to repent of its sins, crimes, felonies, misdemeanors, and that time it stole an entire continent from Britain. And, sure, America could probably use a little bit of humility when you get right down to it.

But I'm not sure that this is the way to inspire a nation to turn from wrong doing. It is the way to tick off a country and further divide it from the message of Christ (the real one, not the one that this group claims).

WARNING! THESE PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC!




Please take note of the fact that all of these people are smiling while holding grotesque and unnecessary pictures of dead, aborted babies. I'm sure it converted many, many people to the pro-life movement, right? How about the kingdom? Probably not.

The caption under this picture just above read, "Linda ministers to an angry woman near Independence Hall." Yes, she looks like she is thoroughly enjoying Linda's message of hope, reconciliation and free grace. Oh, maybe that wasn't the message. My bad. Go, Linda, go!


The caption underneath this one reads, "Robert speaks with a child of the devil." Excuse me? I thought that God created everyone from conception, that he knit us together, breathed his own breath and Spirit into us. Oh, wait, everyone except for this guy and probably anyone else who doesn't buy into the "gospel" that these people preach.

And here is what Repent America had to say about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, you know, the hurricane that destroyed a historic, beautiful city, and, oh yeah, left tens of thousands homeless and displaced, people who were simply trying to survive for another day.

"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. From the devastation may a city full of righteousness emerge," he continued

Lovely, isn't it? Makes you warm and fuzzy all over to know that everyone in the world lumps you and me in with that group as well, doesn't it? Gives me goosebumps. Or are those hives?

Jesus said that the world would know us by how we love. John wrote in his 1st epistle that if we claim to love God yet hate our brother, we are liars. Someone explain to me where the love is in these pictures, and please don't forget that the method of communicating the message cannot differ from the message itself. A message of love and forgiveness cannot be preached through confrontational, in-your-face, Bible thumping, crusading for a political position or a fundamentalist agenda that has little if anything to do with the kingdom of God.

I'm sure that most of us can agree that there has to be a better way of communicating the love of God through our speech and our methods (are we even supposed to have methods?). But my question is, What are you doing to change the perception of the world towards Christians? What am I doing to change that perception?

shalom, matt