I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians

Mahatma Ghandi once famously said: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." 

Before you respond to that, before you have a thought or a visceral reaction -- just be quiet.

Nope. Not yet. I'm serious. Be quiet and reflect on the quote for at least a minute, then go on.

Every time I read or hear that quote, it causes me to wince a little bit and to do some serious introspection. Why? Because there's truth to it. Too much truth.

And honestly, I don't even think it's because Ghandi saw Christians be imperfect. I doubt very much that it was even over our hypocrisy, though that is a possibility and a very prevalent theory.

I think Ghandi was most repulsed by the thing that many modern day non-believers are kept at bay by:

We're mean.

Does that apply to all Christians? Of course not. But so many Christians are, quite simply, just not very nice people. And that doesn't make any sense. It flies in the face of what we're supposed to believe in.

How can you cross over the bridge of Grace to reach the arms of the Father, only to, then, stand solely on works and achievements?

I read an article, yesterday, by a pastor named Michael Cheshire, titled: "Going to Hell with Ted Haggard."

Do you remember Ted Haggard? If you don't, the abbreviated version is that he was a popular televangelist for years, only to have his ministry come toppling down, when a scandal, involving drug use and a longstanding homosexual affair, shattered his reputation and everything he had built up to that point.

I'm not going to get too much into the specifics of what happened after that, because, quite frankly, I haven't put in the research.

What I do know is that he was shunned by most of his church and by most Christians.

In Cheshire's article, he talks about the bold decision to meet Haggard, and to eventually befriend him. Cheshire's take on Haggard is that he is a changed man; humble, contrite and repentant.

I don't know if that's true or not, but only God can judge that man's heart and the condition of his soul.

Cheshire went on to talk about the hatred he saw Haggard endure, as well as the abuse he, himself, underwent just for associating with Haggard.

The point of the article was in regard to the countless Christians who refused to forgive Haggard. The most sobering part, for me, was the realization that I'm no different than they are.

And I'm no different than Ted Haggard.

I don't do drugs, and I've never cheated on my wife. God willing, those are statements that will be true for the rest of my life.

However, I'm a sinner. I sin every day. Fortunately, God has forgiven me, eternally. But that doesn't make me some kind of all-star human being.

I just think it's sad that, as Christians, we talk all day about helping to bring healing to the wounded, yet, when one of our own makes a mistake (even a gigantic, life-altering mistake), we're super willing to kick them to the curb -- forever.

Over time, Christians have become extremely proficient at holding grudges. If there was a "Holding Grudges Olympics," Christians would surely do well in the competition.

Ted Haggard did some really uncool things. But if I can't allow myself to believe he's been forgiven, then I don't truly have a right understanding of God or His grace.

Thoughts?