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From time to time a book will come along and blow your mind away with deep spiritual truths, setting off a series of emotional responses much like those experienced during youth camp or an Innovate Conference. Perhaps the drug wears off over the next few weeks as your spiritual mind and body return to normal, or maybe you’re able to hold on to the transformation that took place so quickly and powerfully because the book was just that damn good.

unChristian (David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons) is NOT one of those books.

Your imagination will not be captured, your spirit will not soar, and your soul’s craving will remain unsatiated. What you will find is a challenging, thoughtful, practical look at what a growing number of outsiders (The author’s term for those outside of the Christian faith) aged 18-30 perceive about our faith, and more importantly, an analysis of our execution of the faith we so strongly profess.

… in 2007, we found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born agains… Over the last thirty days, born again believers were just as likely to [gamble, lie, steal, fight, become drunk, badmouthed others, sought revenge, et. al]… Here is what all of this boils down to: amoung young outsiders, 84 percent say they personally know of at least one commited Christian. Yet just 15 percent thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers were significantly different from the norm. - p47-48

The book is choke full of similar statistics, highlighted by personal stories and quotes from those surveyed, presented in such a manner that does not bog down nor overwhelm the brain. While the results provide necessary context to the discussion, the real strength of the text is in David’s ability to show fairness concerning where and how we’ve failed coupled with a straightforward approach towards change, specifically as it relates to six areas.

Concerning Hypocrisy:

But it is easy to miss the fact that so much of our lives is made up of the simple conversations and interactions we have with people - what is said in the hallway after church, the tone of voice someone uses, the parties you are invited to (or not), the genuineness of people’s concern, how people respond to you and your child. - p59

Halfway through the work and this is the sentence that stands out the most. When I originally read it, three things immediately came to mind: how we talk about homosexuals, how we talk about abortion, and in these southern parts at least, how we talk about hispanic immigrants. The conversations we have are often heard by ears who have deep feelings towards one of these subjects which might not align with our offensive spewing of words. We are often so passionate about abortion and homosexuality that we fail to grasp or refuse to recognize that they are real issues that people struggle with, even within our church walls. To the girl who has struggled in silent depression in the five years since her emotionally gut-wrenching decision to abort, words “abortions is murder! how can anyone stoop to that level?!” are not words of love and healing.

Concerning the “Get Saved!” mentality:

Out of ninety-five million Americans who are ages eighteen to forty-one, about sixty million say they have already made a commitment to Jesus that is still important; however only about three million of them have a biblical worldview… We have probably contributed to that by giving people a superficial understanding of the gospel and focusing only on their decision to convert… Our enthusiasm for evangelism is not matched by our passion for and patience with discipleship and faith formation. - p75-77

Concerning the anti-Homosexual mentality:

We must acknowledge that everyone has sexual baggage but also has the potential for sexual wholeness… gays and lesbians should not be surprised to find us working side by side with them to address HIV/AIDS and to end workplace discrimination in nonreligious settings. You change a country not merely by bolstering its laws but by transforming the hearts of its people. -p104, 106

I will visit the final three discussions and leave any parting thoughts upon completion of the book…

What do you think? Is the perception problem real or just blown out of proportion by the liberal media? How concerned should we be with our image as Christ followers?

Let’s discuss.

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