Are Christians Nicer?

Ol Dave posted a comment on June 8th to the effect that being Christian does not mean being stupid. He used the example that if some "Joe" steals from you, your faith does not dictate acting like it did not happen and allowing the thief to take advantage. He concludes "Some of the Joe's in the world try to take advantage of a warped model of "acting Christian." When you call them on their actions, the first thing they say is "That's not very Christian of you.""

Ol Dave raises the perenial question, "How does a real Christian act?" In the Wizard of Oz Auntie Em is unable to voice her disgust for the mean lady who has taken Toto from Dorothy because "I am a Christian woman." (and don't you know such a line will never appear in a mainstream movie today). Interestingly, the Bible does say clearly that we are called to do good to our enemies. This is an OT theme picked up and re-emphasized by Jesus and His followers. However, to Dave's point, we are not supposed to be stupid about it.

Frequently people come to our church door "in need." There are many types of folks who come up. Some are expressively Christian, saying God bless every chance they get. They make it clear that they are on board with the whole religion/Jesus/faith thing. Others are so busy spinning their yarns that they do not make reference to church at all. [One showed up eating an ice cream cone, not realizing that it was a deterent to getting the aid!] There is one group, however, which irritates; those who expect to get something and are in-your-face in their approach. At some point they say, "I thought churches were supposed to help people." My response is always, "Then why haven't you been here with us all these years doing that?"

I think being nice is a characteristic of some personality types. Wednesday I was in a parkiong lot, the guy next to me flung open his door and banged my car. He jumped out with a look of horror. To my surprise I heard myself saying, "I'm sorry." Instinctively I felt it was my fault because I had rolled into the spot next to his unawares. That impulse to apologize is something which I did not actively choose. It is sort of what "nice people" do. My efforts to be a nice guy are not simply my own. They are impulses which drive me.

Reading about church Fathers one frequently learns that one or another "Saint" was a prickly sort. God sanctifies all manner of people, nice and not-so-nice, with His Holy Spirit. Following Jesus means we are to display all manner of virtues, but being nice (lilke being perky) are not high on the list. Being a mat for evil people to walk on because they demand that we "act Christian" is not faithful to the long tradition of prophetic Christianity. Jesus advocated turning the other cheek, but He also called His enemies snakes and sepulchres. I am thinking He was not always nice. [of course, this does not mean going to the other extreme and being a jerk]

Christians are honest. Speaking the truth, even in love, is not always nice. Enabling sin is not Christian. Failing to confront a thief (etc.) is not nice, it is easing their way to deeper sin and eternal death. I think that Ol Dave is onto something important. We Christians need to clarify the difference between being nice and being Christ-like. We especially need to do this in an age of users, abusers and enemies of the Mission.