[When Examples Fall Short]

Gandhi once said, "I love your Christ. I don't like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." This quote serves as a painful reminder to God's remnant people that we are constantly under scrutiny.

But the next time we find ourselves discrediting the validity of the Bible & the God of Israel remember this: In the same way that the exclusive study of kings & rulers is not a sufficient study of civil society or political thought, much in the same way, the exclusive study of religious clergy or even laypeople is not a sufficient study of religious thought.

An example of this I can offer to help illuminate my point is this: An incompetent scientist might conduct experiments & research that produce inaccurate conclusions about the phenomenon we call gravity. This situation would not nullify gravity's existence nor its intricate laws & principles- it would not be gravity that is wrong, but rather the scientist. 

Another example is the institution of American government. Oftentimes it does not meet the exceptional principles laid out in our Declaration of Independence: 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness."

Unfortunately, our history is filled with examples of the American ideal failing to be enacted by those we have elected to office. The atrocities committed against Natives & the Trans-Atlantic slave trade are obvious examples of failed leadership & morality. Nonetheless, I don't think anyone would disagree with ideological belief that the United States is hinged upon: These truths are self-evident & everyone is entitled to "certain unalienable Rights... Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness."

So I humbly pen an apology on behalf of Christians to individuals like Gandhi who notice our lack of consistency. Humans are messy, prideful, self-serving, & deceitful. Unfortunately, Christians are humans. But Christians are also sincere, & that is one thing I can assure you of. So please forgive our short-comings. We ask for accountability for our actions. But what we cannot ignore is the framework laid out before us: The example of Christ.

-MGB