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No Comment Christians

Inconsistency can drive us to silence. When there is a significant split between what we say with our words and express with our behaviour, we tend to stop talking, because that is where we are held accountable. Others challenge us to explain why we are acting in a way that makes mockery of our words.

In my preaching activities, I get a front row seat. People in the congregations I address think they are watching me, but that I’m not observing them. I don’t mean to surprise them unnecessarily, but the fact is, I do see them. Sometimes, I can’t help but notice and store away in my memory their responses to things I say. Their expressions, often fleeting, indicate what they agree with, what they question and what they reject.

People who have been attending church for a significant period of time know what is accepted in their social environment. A few are willing to ask me to clarify things they don’t understand. I sometimes get communications from people who disagree with something I have said. Most of these are very gracious and start out with questions like. “Did I hear you say... ?” Or “What did you mean when you said... ?” These interactions usually end up being mutually satisfying.

However, another frequent scenario is this: I will say something from the platform and will notice a negative response from some in the audience. They clearly recognize that what I am expressing runs counter to their own philosophical position. However, they also recognize that I am not making something up, or merely stating my own opinion. When they are challenged by the words of the Bible and the inner witness of the Spirit, their faces register a negative response - most often a look of shutting down.

These people never challenge me. They know that to express their disagreement would be to reveal their non-Christian assumptions about how life works. They clearly don’t want to blow their cover. Sometimes, I do a little probing, but that is seldom productive. They have several creative ways of sidestepping a direct challenge to their thinking. They are too busy. They haven’t finished thinking it through. They will get back to me. (Right now, I am in my eighth week of waiting for someone to get back to me about a question about what, in his view, a good marriage would look like. I doubt I’ll ever get an answer. I doubt the waiting spouse will ever get a response either.)

The fact is that some of us know that our behaviour does not line up with simple biblical Christianity. I’m not talking about controversial areas where different ways of interpreting the scripture might lead people to difference conclusions. I’m talking about basic issues of justice, keeping your word, being honest, and putting God first.

I believe it is useful to draw attention to this human tendency, which I see in my own life as well as in that of others. None of us enjoys being confronted with our inconsistency. But if we shut down when it happens, we don’t benefit from it. Worse than that, sometimes we react in hostility and judgment against those who try to help us.

One place to begin is with the assumption that the challenge is really coming from God, not from an author, a preacher, a friend, a family member. The church is the body of Christ. It is most likely that when He speaks to us it will be through the mouth of another Christian. Learn to recognize His voice, regardless of who is speaking.

Something else that helps is have the courage to face the dichotomy between our verbal profession and the inner values which drive our behaviour. Believe it or not, few will be deceived and we will end up being the only ones who think that we are the persons we claim to be. Being honest with ourselves and others provides a starting place from which we can begin to move in the right direction.

Ron Hughes
© November 2007