Jesus is not a cut-throat competition.

I’m beginning to notice a rather frustrating trend in the Christian Non-profit world. This topic has been festering for years, but always processed internally for fear of offending. In recognizing that truth [and really, the gospel] is offensive, I have finally transitioned my thoughts to paper.

Over the years, I’ve volunteered with various non-profits, been on the developing staff of multiple and am now a founding member of one that facilitates social involvement worldwide. I know this world - I breathe this world - I love this world... the majority of the time. This trend I’ve tried to avoid [but, I assure you, haven’t always been successful] is the one where we make sharing Jesus a cut-throat competition. We get defensive when someone else tries to step on our proverbial “turf”, and in essence - attempt to love the people we are already loving. As if we could somehow extend too much of that “love”. We turn up our noses when another missionary [outside of our elite group] passes by - or if we greet them at all, it is with icy cold insincerity. Our questions are poised and judgmental.

My question [to us all] - what is our purpose? If our purpose is merely to be a Christian humanist - reducing Jesus to some kind of product [whereas, you are saying your “package” of Jesus is better than mine] - we might as well quit now, before we make more of a mockery of our Lord.

However, if our purpose is worship, if our purpose is glorification of Christ, if our purpose is loving “them” like Jesus - why not begin by loving and serving and being in unity with one another? If we cannot fathom serving the person in front of us, then we have no business carrying His name to the ends of the earth.