The Religious Crowd

My mentor told me that he labored 40 years with a certain group and they came up with reasons to kick him out with nothing. My mentor was kicked out of his home at one point. He knew what it meant to be around the religious crowd.
The religious crowd are always exclusionary, fear minded, paranoid and concerned about titles and position. The religious crowd draw lines and see enemies around every corner. The religious crowd is controlling, arrogant, would rather be heard than to really listen, grandstanders, stiff necked. Jesus said they look good on the outside, but have no real life in them. (Whitewashed sepluchars full of dead men's bones)
You know you are in the presence of the religious crowd when the conversation always draws your attention to them, you often feel guilty and you are perplexed when they talk, you try to make sense of it, but feel afraid to saying anything or you may be singled out or put out. The religious crowd have large egos that require constant attention by all that surround them. They are high maintenance and look down their nose
to anyone that doesn't match their idea about the world and people.

What do you do with all of this stuff. We've all run into these people, unfortunately. One reason is that you are called to love them even though
they don't make it easy. Secondly, you don't have subject yourself to
mistreatment from people who act in this manner. Those people will
eventually discover that such a lifestyle is short sighted. They may realize it before they die, or when it is too late after they die. Rest assured, one
day they will realize and have full insight. We can hope and pray that it
would be while they are here on earth.

God's church is worldwide. If it only existed in one spot, we would all be in trouble. Love God and love people!