Bad Christians: One Year Bible Reading for August 18

 Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Esther 1:1-3:15
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Psalm 35:17-28

Proverbs 21:19-20 

Let's look at 1 Corinthians. Paul has some strong words for the church at Corinth! He says that their meetings (when they go to church) are doing more harm than good! And Nietzsche reflects that sentiment, saying that Christians who go looking for ugliness and badness in the world often create the ugliness and badness they're looking for. (My interpretation of his words is a little nicer than what he meant: that ALL Christians make the world bad by looking for badness in it.)

Are there bad Christians in the church? Of course there are! In one sense, we are ALL bad Christians. None of us are perfect yet. Even people like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa went to confession regularly - because they knew they were sinners, not yet perfect. Though they are NOW perfect and in heaven, so you can ask for their intercession.

But those of us still here on earth are very much still sinners. We're trying to love people like Jesus taught us to. But we all fail. So let's remember to pray for the church anytime we're tempted to gossip about it. It's full of sinners and it needs our prayers.

One day we'll join the saints in heaven and we'll be free of the sin that Paul points out in the Corinthian church. Until then, let's be kind, and let's keep praying for each other.

God, thanks for reminding us that we're all sinners and we need to pray for each other.