Are There Cigarette Butts Outside Your Church?

Got a question for you. Are there cigarette butts on the ground outside your church? And if not, why not?

I know, the church’s groundskeeper will have fits with the very idea. I mean, do you know how much effort he puts into keeping the ground under the bushes clear, killing weeds and picking up trash? The mere idea is absurd.

But I’m serious. If there are no cigarette butts for the groundskeeper to clean up Monday morning, why not?

You see, we’ve created these nice little Christian retreats called churches. And those who attend are expected to live by certain principles, one of which is; “I don’t drink, smoke, chew or go with those who do”.

And we have certain expectations of our visitors, as well. Oh, you want to visit our church? So you can hear the gospel message, and maybe even get saved? Well, that’s all well and good, but you better be dressed in clothes that, at a minimum, are clean and not frayed or torn. And hopefully you showered and shaved before you set foot on the premises. Cuz otherwise you will be the object of many sidelong glances, and you’ll be standing by yourself, as we manage to find friends we desperately need to talk to.

And heaven help you if you smell of tobacco smoke. One would almost think that tobacco smoke is synonymous with the smoke ascending from hell.

But what do the scriptures say on the subject?

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. (James 2:1-6a, ESV)

But we no longer even have a place for the man in shabby clothing, especially if he reeks of tobacco smoke. Rather, we shun them, and make it obvious that they are not welcome in our hallowed halls. And even those who belong to our church are made to feel uncomfortable if it becomes known that they smoke, and they’re immediately besieged with comments about the body being a temple of the Holy Spirit.

But let’s face it; we are all works in process, and in spite of our reactions to it, smoking is not a salvational issue. Nor should we demand that non-believers start acting like we think Christians should act like before they get saved.

So to return to the original question: Are there cigarette butts on the ground outside our churches? Because if there aren’t, perhaps it is because we have forgotten our calling to reach the lost, and we have forgotten that we are all works in progress, sinners saved by grace.

James Duncan