Outrageous. They’ll know we are Christians…by our love?

I grew up singing this song. A lot. So much so, in fact, that it got tiresome to hear. Yet, the song bothered me beyond the mind-numbing repetition. There was something about the song’s lyrics that struck me, even as a kid, as sappy. Naive. Simplistic. And, too often, just plain untrue. Outrageous.

Don’t get me wrong. The song’s origins are, purportedly, from John 13:35. So, obviously, there is a theological foundation for the song, as you can see:

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity
May one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians
By our love

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news
That God is in our land

We will work with each other
We will work side by side
We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity
And save each man’s pride

All praise to the Father
From whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son
And all praise to the Spirit
Who makes us one [Lyrics from eLyrics.net]

James Versus John

Outrageous? My problem with the lyrics comes from James 2:14-17 [from The Message]:

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

So, let us ponder together…

1. If people “know we are Christians by our love” then what message do they get when the behavior isn’t loving?
2. And what if the very worst behaviors you experience come from some of the same people singing the song with such feeling, such passion?
3. Does the church spend too much time in John and not enough in James?
4. Is this outrageous, or to be expected?

Engage here. What’s your story? Is your experience in the church one of congruence or disconnect? Who else do you want in this discussion? For more on living congruently, especially in ministry, check out our book.

photo credit: Steve Wall via photopin cc