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Don’t Blame the Church—Try This Instead

My English teacher was right! Pronouns are so important.

I’ve recently been reading a book on grace. The author is attempting to point out areas for emphasis within the body of Christ. I’ve never met the man, but I am finding myself struggling not to judge him as arrogant.

Why? He constantly makes statements against the church, pointing the finger to show them the error of their ways.

This might be the most humble man in the world, but his use of pronouns is not unifying. He does not include himself in the church. It seems as if they are the problem and he has the answer.

I do, in fact, agree with many of his statements. I do believe there is a proper place to call ourselves to a greater awareness and restoration of truth. However, I believe we can do this without belittling and creating the appearance of having the corner on truth.

It’s really a simple matter of pronouns.

Which sounds better?

“The church is missing the truth of grace.”

or

“We can grow in applying the truth of grace.”

One is inclusive, the other accusatory.

One statement points out the problem, the other includes the speaker in the solution.

Words like “we” and “us” communicate more than “you,” “them,” “those people” and “the church.”

When I teach on grace, if I refer to “the church,” I make sure to clarify that I am not pointing the finger at a particular body or denomination. We are all the church. We are all apart of the problem and, hopefully, the solution.

We do this all the time, in various areas of life.

In the missions group I work with, when things are forgotten or left undone, we often blame “the base” or “the leaders.”

This is easy to do, sometimes for reasons as simple as creating an outlet for our frustration.

But at its core, we must ask a simple question.

Who is the base?