"Its not that people are mad at Jesus; they're mad at the church." --Underoath in Relevant magazine

I completely understand that comment. I feel like the church is so corrupt and so uncompassionate these days that it's hard to feel anyone love from Jesus flowing through. It's no wonder people can’t understand a loving Jesus - the church isn’t displaying that. I've been a Christian for about four years and I am honestly getting really frustrated with the church right now. There are many issues that I could attack - gay rights, abortion, etc - but in general, the church seems to be showing less and less love. I think that the youth of the church is seeing this unhealthy development and we're rejecting it; unfortunately the older, more settled generations seem to be content in this unfortunate unloving show.

I feel like its becoming an older church v. younger church and I hate that it has to go to that. Underoath seems to be part of the movement in creating a more welcoming, accepting, and loving church. I want to be part of this - I also want to have a steady church to go to because without that accountability, I know at this point in my life I will fall away from God without it. I hate that there even has to be a choice though.

Matthew 9:9-13 says: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

This is one major problem I see in the church; we judge and we don’t love. We forget what our purpose is here on earth; I didn’t realize until only the past year. For three years I don’t remember being taught on how Jesus lived and exactly how crucial it is that we try to follow “in the dust of our Rabbi.” Why hasn’t the church been pushing that more? Jesus loved everyone – He came for the unrighteous, so what are we doing only loving on those of our same nature?