Sojourners: 8 Sayings Christians Use to Let Ourselves Off the Hook

We’ve mastered Christian-ese catch phrases to get us off the hook from ever really having to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Before I go on, please allow me to climb off my high horse and admit that I know all of these phrases by heart because I have disingenuously used them all myself. They’ve rolled off my tongue with ease and a sense of identity. But the more I listen to those who have suffered, the more I realize how much I’ve manipulated Scripture to stay comfortable.

These sayings are not bad or untrue at face value, and sometimes they are said with sincerity. But American Christians also use them as an escape hatch to turn our backs on suffering. We proclaim what we believe as rock-solid theology, while ignoring those who are at the heart and soul of Jesus’ ministry.

1. “I’ll pray for you.”
2. “I love everybody.”
3. “Let’s keep the peace.”
4. “God is sovereign.”
5. “Jesus said, ‘The poor will always be with us.'”
6. “God works in mysterious ways.”
7. “Mercy is not my gift.”
8. “The Bible says we should submit to authority.”