Red Tape
“Have to go through all the red tape”
… we’ve all heard that phrase at some point, many of us have probably even used. It has roots in the 16th century with Pope Clement VII, when Vatican documents were bound with a red binding. The phrase was later used in the 17th century in the writings of Dickens, the British government used red bind official their official papers. Lastly, red tape wasused to bind the documents of Civil War veterans, when the soldiers came to get their benefits, they had to go through, “all the red tape” (if there are any West Wing fans please stand up).
The words ‘Red Tape’ convey some sort of long, painful, bureaucratic process. It gives us the idea of a lot of effort to get what we need, when we need it.
Red tape means an exhausting process.
Red tape means too much work.
Red tape means an endless loop of waiting.
What is sad is when red tape creeps into the Church, and we end up setting hoops and obstacles for people to go through before they can be ‘accepted’ into our community. This things that we think it brings unity, in reality it causes more division and keeps people on the outside.
Sometimes our personal opinions turn into pet ‘theologies’ and get in the way and begin to hinder people. Things like a dress code for church or certain types of music. We have to be a certain way, act a particular part, believe a specific doctrine in order to be considered a Christ Follower.
We put limitations on how or sometimes even who can come to know Jesus. We tell people of a limited way of getting to know Jesus, and that Jesus is only found in OUR church, through OUR teaching, and through OUR practices. And that drives people away. When we get away from the essentials and start adding to them, we begin binding our churches with Red Tape.
I don’t see any sort of red tape, obstacles or hoops in Jesus’ ministry. In fact I see the exact opposite. I see verses like this one -
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
- Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
- He calls the weary, and weary people don’t have the energy to sift through the red tape.
- He says his yoke is easy to carry, and when you hands are full with other burdens you don’t have an extra hand for one more.
- He offers us rest, not another process.
When we apply the red tape to Jesus it goes against the whole point of him coming, because when we look at the essentials of following Jesus, there is no red tape. Just an open invitation to come.
You’ll never find red tape in Scriptures, but you will find red letters. And those red letters should never be misconstrued to keep people from coming to know Jesus.
