To the well informed Christian,
You might have thought for a moment that the heading for this piece has a typo and should have read, "The Nicene Creed"
But no, it is no typo. It is what it says.
The subject of this piece has no connection to the Nicene creed.
Neither does it have to do with the Council of Nicea.
And, yea, it has nothing to do with the French city, Nice.
Many today daily pledge allegiance to this creed,
But in this piece, I seek not to be nice but to speak the truth as it is. I
seek to address this pernicious and cancerous belief of being nice.
For false ideas only misshape, They cost a huge price.
Hear me well. This thing about being nice is out of helm,
Many ships have been wrecked and countless more are heading to mayhem.
What makes it odious is that it purports itself as Christ's brand.
I hear its sensual "flesh-feel-good" music in the streets, in the alleys, in the fields and in the buildings and everywhere where the sons of men converse;
Be nice! Be nice to me! Then I will be nice to you!
This call to be nice seems to me to be saying:
Take me as I am and leave me as I am, let me be then I know you love me.
It seems to be saying: Dote on me and give me soft landing...
It seems to me to say: Never give commands, only beseech.
It seems to be saying: Don't you tell me I am wrong when I am wrong.
Only praise and sing me a wonderful song.
It seems to be saying: Pity me, do you not see, I am as frail as eggshells, I would crack.
It seems to be saying: Empathize, wear my shoes, support, love and tolerate my evils.
It seems to be saying: Smile with me even when you are not happy with me.
You have no right to be offended at me.
It seems to be saying: If you are not nice to me, you're a serpent, a devil, a legalist, a hardline extremist, an enemy of society, an advocate of hate speech.
It seems to be saying: Oh you forthright man, why so stern?
Speak only in unclear terms! Beat about the bush a little!
Never tell a man that he has erred!
I have seen and heard it, It tells me to conceal evil and never expose it.
It tells me to be friends with evil men and only see their good and die by their scorpion stings while they never repent!
Oh how did humanity get here?!
But I say: Jesus, our great Example, was not nice.
No, not even by an inch!
"Oh, you must be mistaken, sire”, you might say.
Wait a moment, and I will prove it.
No doubt, He was loving but don't forget that He was just and
righteous and discerning.
Jesus forgave sins freely but also said with no cloak, Sin No More.
Jesus bound the broken hearted with His cords of love and mercy
to Himself but also took cords and drove out the temple
merchants. That is certainly not nice! When righteousness meets
sin, it never is nice!
Jesus is the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings to
broken men but He also is a consuming fire to sinners and sin.
He bestowed blessings upon contrite men but also pronounced
woes on the Pharisaic of men.
He sits on the Mercy seat but right beneath His seat is His Law so
fiery.
He called Judas, Friend! But He called Peter, Satan! Paradoxical,
wasn't it?!
He gently invited some to come to Him, but others He
commanded, Follow me!
Very few realize that love commands when it seeks to save.
Again I say: Jesus wasn't nice. He simply was loving, just and
righteous.
Get this straight.