I've heard the term "fake Christian" being tossed a lot lately.  What do you think makes someone who claims to be a Christian fake?  What's this person look like?   
Is it the old lady next door who sits up in the Bible study studying everyone's business?  Is it the man in the church that lifts his hands in praise, then goes home and lifts his hands to his wife? 

If you said yes I'm with you, but feel me on sumthin.  Realness goes deeper than that.  While we look at images, God looks at hearts.  You know there's no faking going on in Heaven.  There's more to it than the clothes we wear and the way we talk. 

Many of my brothas and sistas in Christ play a proper role in order to fit in.  We get so caught up in all 
our holy talk, that instead of bringing our friends to church, we're keeping them away.  A friend once told 
me that he could never get involved in church because he likes to get high and have sex too much.  That's 
exactly the type of brotha that should be at church!  If we were all so perfect, Christ would not have died 
for us.  But, walk up in some churches and you can't tell.  You have been judged before you sit down. 

I say this because I have been there.  I became a Christian at 23, after growing up around a bunch of 
thugs.  By 13, I was surrounded by the game (drug dealers, go-go's, car theives, and boys always trying 
to get over.)  After I gave my life to Christ, I closed that door and played the role.  I thought a Christian had to act a certain way.  Why did I think this?  I guess because that's how all the people up in the church were.  My church friends understood nothing about the way I grew up.  Feeling out of place, I realized that the pretty people church was not the answer.  If you're looking for a church to be your answer, you'll forever have questions.  The church is made up of a bunch of people, who sometimes get it wrong.  The only answer is Jesus, and I thank Him that He showed me I could live for him and still be a knucklehead!  I found out that it's aight if I don't look like every other Christian out there.  Isn't it sad when the headz at the gospel go-go show more love  
than at some churches during Sunday service?   

Christians will always get called fake, and many of us deserve that title.  If you call yourself a Christian, 
do your thang...just do it for Christ.  Stop thinking that you have to look better than everybody else out 
there, because you only play yourself. 

Jesus said that the world will know that you are my disciples by the love you show to one another. 
Church people, it's time to start showing love to the Timberland wearing, go-go listening to, saved thug.  
Only when we stop judging and really start loving, can we stop faking. 

 

 

 

 
published by Take Me Out to the Go-Go Magazine on 2/12/01. reprinted with permission