"I Don't Reject Your Christ . . . (But) So Many of You Christians Are So Unlike Your Christ"
WHY IS IT THAT YOU APPEAR TO SO ADAMANTLY REJECT BECOMING HIS FOLLOWER?"
A major influence on the lives and careers of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandella, Mahatma Gandhi, "the father of modern India", led the way for social change with non-violent protests. He was an admirer of the teachings of Jesus, and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. When the missionary-statesman, E. Stanley Jones, met him, he asked, "Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is it that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming His follower?"
WHILE WALKING UP THE STEPS OF A LARGE CHURCH, A WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN ELDER ABRUPTLY STOPPED HIM AT THE DOOR
Gandhi, a Hindu, answered, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ". When Gandhi was a young man practicing law in South Africa, there was an incident which caused him to reject a conversion to Christianity. At that time he was seriously considering becoming a Christian, as he ahd studied the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus. He made a decision to attend a church service. While walking up the steps of a large church, a white South African elder abruptly stopped him at the door. "Where do you think you're going, kaffir--an offensive racial term for a person of dark skin?" the church official asked in a beligerent tone of voice.
"THERE'S NO ROOM FOR KAFFIRS IN THIS CHURCH. GET OUT OF HERE, OR I'LL HAVE MY ASSISTANTS THROW YOU DOWN THE STEPS"
In spite of the obvious rejection and insult, Gandhi replied, "I'd like to attend worship here". At this point, the elder snarled at him, "There's no room for kaffirs in this church. Get out of here, or I'll have my assistants throw you down the steps". From that moment, Gandhi said, he decided to adopt what he found good in Christianity, but he would never again consider becoming a Christian if it meant being part to the church.
TODAY PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR JESUS, NOT JUST FOR CHANGING RELIGIONS
If Gandhi had become a Christian, think what an influence he could have exerted in India. At the end of World War II, Japan asked for at least 200 missionaries to come to their country, and teach Christianity, but the church, for the most part, ignored "the open door", and thus, the greatest opportunity to present the gospel to that nation was lost. Today people are hungry for Jesus, not that interested in just changing religions.
A major influence on the lives and careers of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandella, Mahatma Gandhi, "the father of modern India", led the way for social change with non-violent protests. He was an admirer of the teachings of Jesus, and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. When the missionary-statesman, E. Stanley Jones, met him, he asked, "Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is it that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming His follower?"
WHILE WALKING UP THE STEPS OF A LARGE CHURCH, A WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN ELDER ABRUPTLY STOPPED HIM AT THE DOOR
Gandhi, a Hindu, answered, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ". When Gandhi was a young man practicing law in South Africa, there was an incident which caused him to reject a conversion to Christianity. At that time he was seriously considering becoming a Christian, as he ahd studied the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus. He made a decision to attend a church service. While walking up the steps of a large church, a white South African elder abruptly stopped him at the door. "Where do you think you're going, kaffir--an offensive racial term for a person of dark skin?" the church official asked in a beligerent tone of voice.
"THERE'S NO ROOM FOR KAFFIRS IN THIS CHURCH. GET OUT OF HERE, OR I'LL HAVE MY ASSISTANTS THROW YOU DOWN THE STEPS"
In spite of the obvious rejection and insult, Gandhi replied, "I'd like to attend worship here". At this point, the elder snarled at him, "There's no room for kaffirs in this church. Get out of here, or I'll have my assistants throw you down the steps". From that moment, Gandhi said, he decided to adopt what he found good in Christianity, but he would never again consider becoming a Christian if it meant being part to the church.
TODAY PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR JESUS, NOT JUST FOR CHANGING RELIGIONS
If Gandhi had become a Christian, think what an influence he could have exerted in India. At the end of World War II, Japan asked for at least 200 missionaries to come to their country, and teach Christianity, but the church, for the most part, ignored "the open door", and thus, the greatest opportunity to present the gospel to that nation was lost. Today people are hungry for Jesus, not that interested in just changing religions.
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