In Bad Faith

An article in the Sunday Times got me thinking about religion.

Customer forced out of restaurant after spat with chef:


Madam, why are you so CROSS?


Place where spat occurred

Photos courtesy of Singapore Press Holdings, The Straits Times.

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Some years ago, on Chinese New Year’s Day, my family was in my uncle’s house doing our round of visitations. My auntie was chatting with my sister when she spotted a necklace on her.

“You are wearing a cross. Are you a Christian?” Aunt Rose enquired; her voice was tremulously soft but carried a hint of displeasure.

Aileen caught the inflection in her voice and ventured, “Yea, why do you ask?”

“No, I thought you may wear the pendant as a fashion statement and not for religious reasons. I dislike Christians,” Aunt Rose answered disapprovingly.

Shocking, shocking revelation.

I was stunned too. Aileen probed Aunt Rose for her dislike for Christians. Apparently, she had many bad experiences with people who are of the Christian faith.

When I was in Campus Crusade, we were tasked to do street evangelism on several occasions. Sometimes, people we approach will directly express their dislike for Christians.

“Hm? You want to tell me about Jesus? No…I don’t want to listen. I don’t like Christians.”—passerby then gives a disturbed, disgruntled look and strides away, as fast as their limbs can take them.

If we decipher their statements, it doesn’t take a genius to know that they directed their hostility towards Christians, but they did not criticize the religion.

Why do Christians receive so much flak for their faith? Some talk about the ‘spiritual warfare’ that is being waged. I say, Christians should not attribute it to the undoing of Satanic forces. Purge your demons within, people!

No one is blameless or perfect. Christians are human beings too. Don’t tell me people of other faith are infallible beings? No.

The problem is, when one proclaim her faith with pride, one is burdened with the responsibility of growing richly under the influence of her faith and ‘be more like Jesus’.

Not easy. Plus, no one becomes a saint overnight. But next time you do something un-Christ-like, you can always clutch your cross pendant, and utter a prayer. Curb your anger, ask for divine strength, live and let live. What about taking ‘baby steps’? Decrease the frequency of your bad behaviour, backstab people less often, reduce your gossiping from everyday to once a week…slowly and surely change for the better. Let the Holy Spirit empower you. People may be critical, but fair people can see the good changes in you too.

Problem of course, lies in the inertia to effectuate changes for the better. Prayer not enough?