The Face of Christ

I was waiting for a couple children to finish lessons when he sat down and started talking - a Marine, homeschool Dad, and brother in Christ. He began telling me about a local, Japanese organization he is involved in and some of the challenges of being the only American in the group. He talked about how at times the responsibility of being the face and representative of our nation, and our military, to a foreign community can at times feel heavy. The responsibility of knowing his dress, his manners, his attitude, his body language, and his work reflect on not just him, but on a nation and force he loves. In a community where tensions can at times escalate because of cultural differences, he doesn't unwittingly want to be one more reason for hard feelings. Then he started telling me this Holy Week was adding to that.  He was told he was needed Easter Morning, and was met with animosity when he said he couldn't be there. He said he struggled to explain, to a completely non-Christian community, why he could not fulfill an obligation. He knew he could loose his position, Japan does not have equal opportunity laws like the US, and he was risking tarnishing the good relationship he had established - one he knew in the eyes of his Japanese colleagues would reflect on not just himself, but the Marine Corps, and American as a whole.  He finally gained some understanding when he explained this Sunday as a high Holy Day, and as they would not work on a Shinto holy day, he could not work on a Christian holy day.  While grateful for their understanding, he realized he was no longer just the face of the Marine Corps and Americans to this Japanese community. He was now the face of Christ to a completely non-Christian world. He may be the only example of Christ some of these people ever meet.

It made me wonder - how would I live my life differently if I truly thought of every action and attitude as the only portrait of Christ someone would ever see?

What picture of Christ do others see as I am grocery shopping? Pumping gas? Speaking with my children? Talking about my husband? When I am tired? When I am overwhelmed? And my digital face.... How do the memes I 💓💓, the articles I 👍, the statuses I post, reflect Christ? If someone tracked my digital life, would they see the Christ of Scripture??

The Jesus we celebrated this weekend allowed himself to be arrested, humiliated, beaten, and brutally killed for the very people who were calling for His death.

The embodiment of Holiness and Truth gently corrected the adulteress, and protected the prostitute - offering forgiveness, justification, and love while calling them on their sin.

The Creator of the earth calmed the wind and waves for men with a lack of faith.

The Owner of all creation applauded the meager gift of the poor widow who gave all for love of God, while rejecting the rich, pompous, powerful man whose large donations and loud boasting glorified himself.

When I "like" an op-ed that labels people as "snowflakes", are those immature, poorly educated college students seeing the face of Christ?

When I share a meme poking fun at "liberal logic", are my left leaning friends seeing the face of Christ?

When I share articles characterizing all illegal immigrants as rapists and murders, or refugees as potential terrorists, do my Mexican and Syrian neighbors see the face of Christ?

When out of fear I remove my girls from the bathroom being used by a transgender individual, does that image-bearer of God, see the outstretched, loving, and welcoming arms of Christ?

When I cheer bombs being dropped on Muslim men, women, and children, do they see the Son of God hanging on a cross for them?

I am in no way saying we should avoid anything that could offend others. The truth is always offensive. Real love is offensive. Christ was offensive - which is why He died.  But...

We are to be wise as serpents, and gentle as doves. We are to speak the truth in love. We are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  We are to look beyond the outward appearance, and look on the heart. We are to offer water to the adulteress at the well. We are to stop the mob's justice and point them to their own need for justification. We are to teach and train the children and immature. We are to heal those arresting us. We are to pray for those killing us.

We are to be the face of Christ in a world that does not know Him.

If we are not laying down our lives, we are not pointing to His.