When I first became a believer, I was embarrassed by some of my new fellow Christians. Particularly the bumper sticker brothers and sisters. I remember waiting in a parking lot for Rob when a real clunker of a car pulled in. The disheveled owner parked and tumbled out in a cloud of dust. The car was practically wall papered in bumper stickers. “Not perfect, just forgiven” was one that seemed particularly apt.
As I stared judgmentally at what could be described as a clown car, I thought “Why are Christians so crazy? This is my new family.” But right away, God reminded me that the founders of Yale and Harvard had been Christians. Schools and hospitals, inner city missions, outreaches to the poor, the Salvation Army, Feed the Children, and so many other wonderful institutions and charities were started by Christians. I felt better but also convicted. God’s amazing grace. I wasn’t better than my disheveled sister and the founders of Yale were not better than me.
Over the years I’ve met many believers of diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Some of my favorites have been the eccentric, disheveled, clown car owner types. They are usually non-judgmental, and often have an intuitive sense of others’ needs. Maybe because they are needy themselves.
I’m reading a book by Timothy Keller where he mentions the angels appearing to the shepherds to announce the good news that a savior has been born. The shepherds rush to the manger in Bethlehem and tell what they’ve seen and heard. The people who heard were amazed. But did they believe the report? The text doesn’t tell us. Some must have.
The shepherds certainly believed but they had miraculous messengers – angels. The messengers to the people in Bethlehem were shepherds. He mentions that shepherds weren’t well respected. They were not educated. They had no social standing or power. And I’ve also read in other books that they weren’t trustworthy.
Pastor Keller’s point was that we all need to be better listeners. Do well respected people lie sometimes? Do less respected people have something important to share? We need to hear or focus on the message and not so much, the messenger.
I wouldn’t have been attracted to the Gospel by that bumper sticker laden clunker or the owner who tumbled out of it. I was already a believer, and I was put off by it. But I’ve come to realize that God works through and with all people. His message is delivered by many messengers who are not perfect, just forgiven.