…what’s unbelievable

Leave it to the world to corrupt all that is beautiful; the heart of man is filthy and perverted.

There is nothing – no place too dark or cracks too deep – that makes a man’s heart beyond saving. By the payment of death, as the only example of human righteousness hung from a Roman cross, the ledger of every man, woman, and child is settled. By the grace of the Creator of each man, woman, and child, this payment is accepted on our behalf. The bloodied cross is the lynchpin to mankind’s salvation – the empty tomb is the cornerstone of belief. To borrow the words of Andy Stanley – “If a man can predict his own death and resurrection, and pull it off, I just go with whatever that man says.” Today, as church pews strained under the weight of “Christians” fulfilling an annual obligation, the world’s smirk grew wider.

Saying something that seems to rebuke the holiday that has just been defined as the cornerstone of Christianity seems cynical, to say the least. A cynic believes people to behave only in self interest – as people naturally do quite often. To the credit of churches opening their doors wider on this Sunday than any other – It works. Broken hearts were healed this morning; redemption became accepted. Every ounce of extra effort is worth the burden if only one soul is yoked to eternity in the presence of God.

The target of this thought is those whose hearts are cold – those of you that sat in a pew this morning because “that’s what Christians do” on Easter Sunday. Brennan Manning explained the strongest, most definitive source of atheism: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: Who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” There are nominal Christians that never miss an Easter service, no matter how hungover they may be from the night before. Easter is a beautiful reminder of the mercy and grace that only God can give – and the world is turning it into a checklist of practices and attendance. This proclamation of faith, unsupported by actions, tears the fabric of Easter. It isn’t a checklist – it isn’t about church attendance. That – to think that any amount of deeds justifies even a single sin – is unbelievable.