The conference speaker asked this penetrating question, “How would your community be different if your Church did not exist?”

His question was meant to motivate the Christians listening to do community service. He was seeking to move believers to love their neighbor, show kindness in action, and be a force for good.

I have thought about his words a great deal while reading through the book of Acts. The Church was a dynamic community of faith in those fledgling years, which resulted in their being hated by their towns and villages. People coming to Jesus meant that idol makers lost their jobs, prostitutes would change their employment, bookstores were unable to sell their magic books, and the local police had layoffs as there were few crimes anymore. People hated the local Church because it radically changed the way people behaved and sent shockwaves throughout the community.

Perhaps the measure of a great Church is not how much it is loved but how much it is hated. Not because the people are jerks or unloving, but rather because total transformation is happening. Because lives are being changed, the bars shut their doors as alcohol sales dry up, drug use of all kinds disappears, the police are bored, and the school is unable to schedule anything on Sunday morning or Wednesday night because people refuse to attend. It is a place where people love and take care of one another, causing businesses to close because neighbors freely mow each other’s lawns, care for the sick at home, and assist however needed.

Most communities want a friendly Church that does some good but is not really changing the status quo. I want to be a part of a Church that is hated for all the right reasons.