Book Review: UnChristian

I just finished reading the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity by David Kinnaman. It lays out some hard truths about what the younger generation (16-30) thinks about Christianity. According to the research of the Barna Group, when young people hear the word "Christian", they think hypocritical, antihomosexual, and judgmental. We have become known for what we stand against, rather than who we're for. And our attitude of us vs. them is at the root of the problem.

So then, now that we've diagnosed the problem, what should we do with it? How can we go about changing the perception of Christians to be more in line with what Jesus intended? Perhaps a good start is to realize that we are flawed agents of God's grace. We do not have all the answers. Recognize that we are just as sinful as the rest of humanity and become more authentic to the world. They don't want flawless people, the world wants people who can come next to them in the midst of their suffering and just be there. Not to judge, or condemn, but simply to be human with them in their moment of trouble.

Perhaps we, as Christians, can stop being so concerned with our differences and the state of other people's sin, and instead, concentrate on being Christ to the world. Living missionally is living out our faith - not a faith scrubbed clean of argument, or dirt, or hunger, but a faith that gladly goes where the rest of the world hesitates. Perhaps if we start there, then we can begin to heal the hurts that the church has caused. And once we do that, we will be well on the way to living out the message of Christ.