by Rich DuBose
I think I've finally identified what's missing among many who claim to follow Christ. For months I've had this nagging perception that much of what is called "Christian" today really isn't. Yet, I haven't been able to identify why, until now. It troubles me greatly that instead of being identified by their love, some Christians seem to relish being known for what they hate!
The growing perception among many is that Christians are haters. For starters, they hate gay marriage, abortion, liberal thinking, big government, socialism, communism, welfare, socialized medicine, illegal immigration, and taxes. And they hate being called “haters.”
John said the distinguishing characteristic that will define Christ's true followers is love!
"Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before" (1 John 2:7, NLT).
It is no secret that the opposing poles of morality and politically correct thinking have set our culture on edge. One can hardly speak about issues of the heart without being demonized or vilified by others. Such corrosiveness diminishes meaningful human relations and prevents heartfelt dialogue. And now, I think I know why.
What’s Missing?
What is missing in contemporary American culture and religious life can be summed up in one word—reverence! We have lost our sense of reverence—for life, for humanity, for the mysteries of creation—for God! Unintentionally we have come to view faith and spirituality in practical, human terms. We have replaced mystery with expectation. We've been to the Moon and have landed on Mars. We've been to the depths of the sea and have explored the intricacies of DNA. We believe there is nothing that science cannot explain and that our technologies cannot master, therefore we find it hard to be amazed!
Reverence challenges our expectations and keeps us from thinking we know it all. And it keeps us from sitting in judgment upon those who are different from us.
Reverence prevents us from trying to answer every question and solve every riddle. Life is supposed to be mysterious, overwhelming and incredibly amazing. If we think we've figured it out there's a good chance we've lost our sense of reverence. Paul Woodruff says, "To forget that you are only human, to think you can act like a god—this is the opposite of reverence." Barbara Brown Taylor expands on this by saying, “reverence is the recognition of something greater than the self—something that is beyond human creation or control, that transcends full human understanding.”
Reverence occurs when we understand that we don't understand; that our knowledge is imperfect and that we too are part of life's mystery.
The problem with Christianity today is that it tries to answer every question, eradicate every sin, and solve every mystery. If this were actually possible, there would be no need for wonder, reverence, or God.
Children have a sense of awe and wonder that's contagious—and their simplicity reminds us that sometimes the key to knowing is not knowing. Surrounded by adults, children are keenly aware of all that they don't know, yet they are the one's who can teach us the most about faith and trust. Why is it that the more we know the harder it is to dream and wonder?
When my grandson was 6 years-old, he would often say, "This is the best day of my whole life!" When I heard him I would chuckle to myself, because he was only six. He had only lived six years, so how could his statement of delight be so profound?
It was profound because even though his knowledge and experience were limited, he had discovered the one thing that mattered most—the wonder and joy of being alive!
Could it be that this is what Jesus had in mind when he said, "Unless you become like little children you will not enter into the kingdom of God?" Reverence is the fertilizer that keeps faith alive in a stilted, cynical world. I don't know about you, but in my own life I know how it feels to lose wonder. I have traveled through the parched deserts of predictable mediocrity and experienced seasons of brittle narcissism. I know how it feels to dread tomorrow and long for meaning and purpose.
How does it happen? How do we lose it? Does reverence trickle away over time as we experience life's harsh realities? Or does it disappear in one gigantic poof! More significantly, is there something we can do to keep it alive?
Instead of proving a tidy list of doable suggestions on how to keep reverence alive, I'm going to take the reverse approach by listing five things that some people do to kill it:
Five Ways to Kill Reverence
1. Listen to talk radio - Actually I have found that media exposure of any kind will kill reverence, if you get too much of it. Left and right wing talk show hosts are particularly harmful because of their constant flow of criticism and vitriol. Therefore, my resolve is to not tune in.
2. Demonize people you don't like or agree with. It is easier to hate someone with a label than a name. So, when we call someone a sleaze or scumbag, we don't have to think about the fact that they may be struggling with insecurities, have health issues, or be celebrating the birth of their first grandchild. We can just hate them as faceless, nameless scumbags!
3. Refuse to acknowledge what you cannot control or understand. That will keep you busy for a while.
4. Limit your exposure to nature and the environment. If we let it, nature will fill us with a sense of wonder and reverence that reminds us of how small and partial our knowledge really is.
5. Avoid travel. The more we stay cloistered in our houses, communities or regions and limit our exposure to foreign ideas and people, the less tolerance we have for diversity and divergent thinking.
Life is an incredible gift that God brings to our doors 365 days a year! Even though he is under no obligation to gift us in this way, it brings him great pleasure to watch us live and grow! I suspect the thing that hurts him most is when we lose our sense of awe and wonder. Jaded, cynical, critical people are no fun to be around.
The amazing thing is, each day we get to choose who we're going to be and what we're going to be like. What an awesome, incredible thing!
The very last thing I want to be is an irreverent Christian!
Rich DuBose writes from Northern California | Image by Rich DuBose
On the web at: richdubose.com. All Rights Reserved © 2026. Join me on Blue Sky @spiritrenew.bsky.social.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.