Encountering Condemnation

All of us [as followers of Christ] have need of acceptance and encouragement.

It is easy to allow our personal need for acceptance to become something inordinate. Inordinate in the sense that it causes us to seek popularity from persons and peers to the degree that being popular with Christ takes a back seat or is booted to the curb altogether.

I am often reminded of something that Thomas Merton wrote regarding his writing as a contemplative monk at the Abbey of Gethsemane. He wrote, “If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people you have got to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn.”

The broader truth contained in this statement by Merton is that, if you live in a way that counters and runs contrary to popular cultural ideals, you are going to encounter condemnation from people.

There is no way to avoid the backlash. We can always, however, choose to live in a way that avoids the backlash by bowing to the popular idols of modern culture.

We can water down, lower the volume, and cool the fire of the message of our lives enough that people, even those that totally disagree with us, extend measures of acceptance as small olive branches of tolerance. Lukewarm Avenue, over in Laodicea, appeals to a lot of people who profess to be Christians.

I have lived in Laodicea. I know the Laodicean lifestyle very well.

There are three very harsh realities attached to living in Laodicea.

The first one is that spiritual lukewarmness does not last. It always loses what little warmth it has and takes on the ambient spiritual temperature of the surrounding environment. The second is that spiritual lukewarmness [lukewarm affection toward Christ] receives a harsher rejection from Christ than having no personal affection for him. “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are neither cold or hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” [Revelation 3:15-16] The third is that it is extremely hard to move out of Laodicea once you have set up housekeeping within its proverbial municipal jurisdiction.

I would much rather encounter the condemnation of the world [and the rejection of family and friends] than to encounter the judgment of God … something that begins this side of the transparent veil where interior peace, joy, and love are replaced with turmoil, despair, and hatred as a foretaste of something intended to lead us to God. Judgment is not just on this side of the veil. Imagine an eternity of turmoil, despair, and hatred felt with the entire capacity of our spiritual capabilities. That will be hell. 

I have had enough of hell already on this side of the veil.

I am much more interested in an everlasting experience of peace, joy, and love felt with the entire capacity of my spiritual capabilities and cannot content myself with anything that detracts or distracts from realizing and enjoying the benefits of eternity in the dimension referred to as Heaven. Especially now that the only significant Rite of Passage left for me this side of the transparent veil is my own physical death.

In looking back over the prior decades of my life, and looking ahead at the uncertain measure of time that remains before my own personal passage, I realize that I still have a work left to do while I have my capabilities. [All of us have a work to do for Christ and his kingdom. We are always, regardless of our state and status in life, working either for or against Christ in his effort to redeem fallen humanity.]

I also realize that the life I am living sets me up for condemnation from men. I expect it. I accept it.