I saw an interesting sign in front of a church this week. You know, the kind of signs by the street where churches advertise their upcoming sermon, VBS, service times, etc... This particular sign gave the sermon title of this week's message, and it simply said, "Acceptance Changes Lives." Hmmmm I thought. What is that sermon going to be about? No passage of scripture was listed, so there is no way to extrapolate meaning from the Bible.
Will the minister talk about how our acceptance of others, our "love in spite of" is powerful enough to transform that person's life? Will it be about forgiveness?
Or will the message be about how God's unconditional acceptance of us, and our realizing that God does, changes everything? Will it be about grace?
Or will it be about how accepting Christ into one's life will transform that life? Will it be about salvation?
Perhaps the sign was some kind of "message from above" to anyone passing by (including me) saying, "Hey you, accept the fact that you are bad in math, or fat, or an alcoholic or drug abuser, or "insert your problem here" - and when you do, when you accept who YOU are, then your life will be better!" Will the message be about self-esteem?
I'm not sure. It seems to me that a message with a title like "Acceptance Changes Lives" could be powerful and liberating. But the cynic in me says that at least some who may hear the message, or who will ride and read the sign like I did, will hear it as one more verse in the song that titled, "I'm okay, you're okay so let's just all get along and love one another." In other words, it will be a license to forget trying to change, or to live up to any kind of standard because, after all, "that's how God made you," right?
I don't know, I guess I've grown callous and jaded in my old age. What do you think? I think maybe I should go to that particular church this Sunday and listen to see for myself....
