Cringy Christianity

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Let’s talk about cringy Christianity.

And I’m not talking about mildly embarrassing moments, like when someone sings the wrong lyrics on a Sunday morning. I’m talking about those cringy moments when you can feel someone trying to force a thing or a person to change through the sheer strength of their passion. No power. Just will, desire, and passion.

Imagine this.

A street evangelist, we’ll call him Josh, is following the voice of the Lord and sharing the gospel with anyone who will listen. Josh has what it takes to speak clearly and compellingly, and he genuinely enjoys it. His heart aches when he sees the lost, and he truly desires for them to know the Lord and experience the relief of unity with the Savior.

Josh believes that every miracle of Jesus was real. He admires that the disciples, not just the 12 but the 72 and many more, were able to heal the sick and raise the dead. He doesn’t judge the lost for being lost, but he mocks the church for its limitations in bringing down Heaven. One day, Josh decides today is the day he will do it.

“I want to heal the sick. I want to see the lame walk today.”

And he knows exactly who he wants to heal: Will, the paraplegic who often sits nearby where Josh preaches.

On this day, Josh walks up to Will and says the words of Jesus:

“Wilt thou be made whole?”

Will, completely unsure what being whole means in this context, can barely respond. He feels slightly offended that Josh would imply his disability makes him half a man. He’s dealt with that kind of thinking before, after his diagnosis. But by now, he’s processed his disability enough to not dwell on what the word implies.

What Josh doesn’t realize is this. When Jesus asked the lame man if he wanted to be made whole, Jesus was prepared to reach the wounded soul and reverse the impacts of sin so profoundly that the man’s legs became evidence of that inner healing.

Josh just wanted Will to walk. To reveal God’s ability, yes, but still with a pretty direct agenda.

And here’s the cringe part.

Josh musters all his will and confidence. He kneels to pray for Will, lays hands on his knees (no, he didn’t ask), and steps back, waiting for Will to have a moment of reckoning, to see that the God of the Bible is real.

Nothing happens.

Josh’s faith is as high as his confidence. His priorities shift from wanting Will to walk to not wanting to lose this battle for the kingdom. He binds the enemy. He binds fear. He binds doubt. He binds sickness. Then he takes another leap of faith.

“Stand up,” Josh says.

By now, a crowd has gathered. Everyone who knows Josh as a compelling street preacher is expecting to see a miracle. Some skeptics watch, but most are hopeful. Maybe today is the day Will will walk.

Will is confused but gracious.

“No. Thank you, but no,” he replies.

In a low whisper, Josh, both compassionate and hopeful, tries to encourage Will that this is possible. Will just has to have faith.

And so, history repeats itself. A well-meaning Christian represents the power of God in a light that doesn’t actually reflect its glory.

• Riddled with human will

• Absent of revelation

• Futile in revealing who God is

Did you cringe while reading that?

How conflicted did you feel?

What about your emotions?

If you were angry, you probably have an interest in improving how Christians respond to human needs. If you felt empathy, you’re likely interested in learning how to allow the power of God to flow through your work and ministry more effectively.

We’ve all been there or seen it. Desiring to see the power of God move, trying to strive in faith beyond the resistance. Your work may not be out in the streets, but this story plays out in offices, bedrooms, prayer meetings, and phone calls all the time.

Moments like this leave the lost confused and the hopeful without proof. The anointed become insecure. The sick remain sick.

The average power-filled, hope-filled believer thinks that love and belief are all it takes to see captives set free.

I’d say it takes more than that.

I don’t mean more work. I’m not saying you need more study, more prayer, or more practice.

You don’t need a title.

You don’t need ordination.

You don’t need public approval.

You don’t need most, if not all, of the human accolades they told you were necessary to be impactful.

What you do need is practical training. Relevant discourse about Christian spirituality, the gospel, and healing ministry that soberly acknowledges humanity.

Understanding certain natural concepts will increase your ability to flow in the supernatural in a way that truly honors God. Trust me.

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Conscious Coore is the founder of Flamingo Trauma Recovery, the creator of the Trauma-Informed Spiritual Intervention® framework, and author of Fundamentals of Trauma-Informed Spiritual Intervention. With a background in psychology, education, and inner healing ministry, she equips faith-aligned professionals to integrate clinical care and biblical wisdom for lasting transformation. Through her work with Jesus in the Marketplace, she highlights where Safe and Sound work is happening, even in spaces that often overlook the need for it.

consciouscoore.com

Email: conscious@flamingorecovery.0rg