Legalism and other thoughts

The Legalist way is not the way to life.

The Legalist way is not a way of life.

So my late 20s has been a time of considerable reflection in my life and faith. A lot has happened ever since I've been around Christian institutions and seeing the realities of our times. A lot of questions have been raised when I see what is happening around and the dubious behaviour of individuals in these institutions.

-Maybe it was the time when the leader of the church asked me for money when I got sick from Africa. And asking me to delete that email afterwards so that the congregation would not find out.

-Maybe it was the Salvadorean Pastor who appeared in the newspapers headlines after being caught in a motel having an affair with one of the churchgoers.

-And many more 'hypocrisy revealing acts' that I have witnessed throughout my life.

Yes, yes. I get it. It's human nature. We are all prone to sin. Yes, Yes. No one is perfect. Yadda...yadda...

But what truly irks me is that these individuals or institutions shame other individuals with their legalistic preaching and self-righteous ways. Thou shalt not wear nail polish or make up. But they have all the right to talk behind people's back and backstab them. Thou shalt not commit adultery or have sex before marriage, yet they are the ones committing those sins behind closed doors and begging forgiveness and compassion when their actions are brought into light.

These individuals preach legality, encourage legality and live by legality. Yet there is no ethos. No actions to back up their words. There is little to no love for those who have sinned and are wounded by life's blows. 

And this leads to this thought: Legality does not bring life or love to anyone. Legality only brings scorn, shame, fear and separation. It only brings people to constantly measure themselves and others for nothing but some empty approval.

An approval that means nothing. Absolutely nothing.

No wonder did Jesus warn us about the Saducees and Pharisees in the Gospels. No wonder his ministry was so focused in revealing their hypocrisy and their hearts...because there are so many of them nowadays. 

Anyways, enough of my ramblings. It is late and there is much to do in the morrow...