Beware of Christianity

I've made a deal with a dear friend of mine, and have entered into full disclosure with him. This means that we both decided it was time for us to cut through the BS and be honest with someone else about everything; our fears, sins past and present and likely future, and everything in between.

I'm not sure what this is called in psycho-babble, but in our Christian faith it is called confession. Now it's one thing to do this with a God you think may be there, but you can't see his face; or if you're a Catholic, behind a veiled wall to a priest who can't see who you are. Both of these are a good start. But it's another thing altogether when you have to look someone in the eye and tell them everything.

I thought it would be liberating, because that's the impression you get. We've all heard the term 'get it off your chest'.

It seems, however, that God does not let us off that easy.

Confession means to be honest about who you are. Not just about a lie you said last Saturday that your wife caught you in, but every lie not caught as well. Confession and full disclosure is good, not because it is 'liberating', though it can be. Confession and full disclosure with another brother or sister, in confidence and face to face, is good because it is part of repentance.

My blog is about cigars, rum and grace. But grace without honesty just doesn't happen. We can talk about, write some really heady stuff about it. But without honesty, you can't really start grasping the essence of grace.

Christianity is dangerous, but not because of it's zealous throngs carrying the label on their t-shirts and signs. Christianity is dangerous because it is the only world-view that forces us to honestly address the fact that, as Rich Mullins put it, 'we are not as strong as we think we are'.