About a month ago, I was hanging up posters for Intersections, and for the first time in a while, an old fear resurfaced. I went into a known Christian-owned business, and whereas most businesses had been fine with my hanging up posters, the response here was a reluctant “I’ll have to ask my manager.” I stood there uncomfortably as a manager and a few other employees came over and examined the poster. As they read over the information, fearful thoughts rushed into my mind:

Oh no. This poster mentions beer. It makes reference to coming out as a sacred moment. Hell, if they go to the website and see that Micah’s talk is titled “God Is Not an Asshole,” then I’m really screwed. There’s no way they’re going to go for this. I can already tell that these folks don’t see me as “part of the tribe.” I should just make a run for it and never come here again. I’m going to miss this place; I really liked it here.

Of course, all of this was an overreaction on my part, and the manager was fine with the poster. I could tell that the mention of Beer & Hymns was cause for a little concern, but when I explained the concept, the manager understood it to be an overall good. Having received permission, I quickly hung up the posters and retreated to my car to regroup– still a little scared but also embarrassed at having been so needlessly scared.

I suspect that, if you’re reading this blog, you might identify with this feeling.
Being judged by my fellow Christians is scarier —and, sadly, more common— than being judged by those outside the Church. Since the days of the Apostles, I can’t think of a point in history where this hasn’t been an issue. Different tribes within the big tent of Christianity hold different values and standards, so judging one another might just be inevitable. It’s one of the main reasons so many of the people I encounter feel safer in bars than in churches (and, frankly, I’m in that camp a lot of days too).
Y’all, Christians are scary.
Church culture is scary.
We are scary.

But I don’t want to name this fear without also identifying some remedies.
We need to find ways to create sanctuary without creating sanctimony.
We need to lift up unconditional hospitality as a form of holiness.
We need to keep a close watch on our piety and make sure we’re not coming off judgmental.
We need to avoid assumptions when we encounter people who talk, act, or imbibe differently.
And for those of us who feel uneasy around some other Christians, we need to observe all these practices as well.
Let’s bear with one another,
keep the lines of communications open,
and try not to rush to judgment just as we hope others won’t rush to judgment against us.
The big tent of Christianity is a fairly tense place these days, but a little more patience and honesty —with ourselves and with each other— will lead to some very positive change.

Keep an open mind.
Keep an open heart.
Look for the common ground.
And be not afraid.