In the recent statements of author Anne Rice, an old question and controversy has resurfaced about whether we can follow Christ and reject the Church/Christianity/Christians. Another question of equal age and importance has surfaced with that: how do believers deal with someone who insists that they will love Jesus and hate the Church? There are always attempts at staunch rebuke, threatened excommunication or questioning the authenticity of faith on the part of believers, but I think disciples aren’t called to be people who judge in that fashion. In an Open Letter to Anne Rice, I think Justin McRoberts has demonstrated beautifully the appeal of one who loves Jesus, loves His Church, and loves his sister in Christ in the midst of difficult relations with her spiritual family. Here is an excerpt from his letter that, I think, demonstrates the heart and implications of the Gospel in the way we confront and graciously deal with those who want to run from the Church:

It’s simply reasonable that if you set yourself against people who set themselves against people you are only adding to the friction. If part of your issue with christianity is it’s exclusivity, you aren’t helping by only including those who “get it” the way you do.  True christian inclusivity means embracing the homosexual and the gay-basher in the same embrace; working for the release of the oppressed while praying and working for the redemption of their oppressor; loving the beautiful game of baseball and yet, somehow, also loving the Yankees.  It means loving the Lord with all of yourself and also loving those who grossly misrepresent Him.

Its a calling and an act that requires a lot of grace, and a lot of practice, and we’ve all got a long way to go in our practice of it. Let’s be faithful disciples and do what our Master did.

Cyprian: He cannot have God for his father who has not the church for his mother.

Augustine: The church is a whore, but she’s my mother.