I'm sorry if someone misrepresented Jesus to you

Reflection

Few things wound faith more deeply than encountering a distorted picture of Jesus through the words or actions of those claiming to represent him, whether harsh judgement, hypocrisy or genuine harm done in his name. An apology for this kind of misrepresentation acknowledges a painful and unfortunately common reality: that Christians have not always reflected Christ well. Jesus himself was deeply critical of those who used religious authority to burden or harm others rather than serve them, and he consistently prioritised compassion over condemnation in his own ministry, famously telling a woman caught in adultery that he did not condemn her, while still calling her to a changed life (John 8:11). Recognising the gap between Jesus himself and some of his followers' behaviour is not a betrayal of faith but an honest and necessary act of humility. It also offers an invitation: that whatever painful experience someone has had with Christians or churches, the person of Jesus as described in the Gospels may be worth encountering directly and afresh, separate from the failures of those who have represented him imperfectly.

Questions to sit with

• Has your view of Jesus been shaped more by his followers than by the Gospels themselves?
• What would it look like for you to encounter Jesus directly rather than through others' representation of him?
• How do you personally try to represent Christ well to people who have been hurt by the church?

Topics