Professor J,
Excuse me, but are you finished with that soapbox? I'll give it right back. :)
Along
with this book I read What's the Matter With Kansas? on your
recommendation. That's a whole other discussion we could have at some
point but something he brought out meshed with some of what Hedges is
saying about the Christian Right (which he scatters throughout the book). The author of that book, Thomas Frank, points out
casually and maybe a bit mockingly, that the more vocal Christians have
been about the culture, the more the culture has deteriorated. His
rather amused perspective was a political one, but as a person of faith I
couldn't help thinking of his observation in spiritual terms. Because
he's right.
Over the last few decades while we have become more vocal
(and let's be honest, somewhat obnoxious) we have become less effective in
bringing about the change we want, not more. How is it that when
Christians were quietly going about their business doing the right
things (go to any city and look at the names of the hospitals), working
hard and being good neighbors the culture respected our message even if
they didn't necessarily embrace it? We seem blind to the fact
that our new tactics aren't working. We try harder. We get louder, more demanding,
shriller and don't understand the culture's growing aversion to our
message.
Maybe it isn't the message, but the messengers. We've become obsessed
with who is getting a free government lunch when we should be offering
to buy lunch for those in need. We should, if we are who we say we are,
be appalled that the government would need to supply so much for so many
when there are so many of us with so much.
Know, that before I am saying this to anyone else I am saying it to myself. I can certainly say with Paul that I am "chief among sinners."
Is it a
coincidence that recently while Christians in America have become more
politically focused we have seen an increasingly hostile response? God
didn't call us to go out and be registers of voters, but fishers of men.
Jesus didn't say to the disciples, "Okay guys, here's the plan: We are
going to load up the school boards, get the textbooks changed, bring
back prayer in schools." or "Let's get ourselves organized and get to
Rome where we can make a difference." Where is it written, "Let's make
sure everyone knows how we feel about every political issue and bring
this empire back to God"?
It isn't.
We
aren't instructed to do any of that. We should be asking ourselves,
"Why not?" If Christ who came to THE ROMAN EMPIRE didn't think it was
necessary to address all the political and social evils of His day but
instead focused on the hearts of individuals, the hurting, and the
broken, (when He wasn't rebuking religious leaders for their hypocrisy)
then isn't that what we should be concerned with? We worry about whether
or not our kids are going to be challenged in their faith by a
professor in a classroom. I've heard parents and pastors talk a lot
about them standing their ground and defending the faith. Maybe we
should be telling our children to show up prepared for class, work hard
and show love to everyone they come in contact with. We are called to
give an account for our faith...when asked: "But in your hearts set
apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give
an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15 (italics mine.)
Jesus
didn't say "Those people that hate you can be defeated at the ballot
box", or "by a boycott of their product." He said "Pray for those who
hate you and do good to those that persecute you. " Well, that doesn't
sound like fun. It does however sound very, well--Christlike. Mother Theresa, a Christian revered as a good example even by unbelievers, never gave her
political opinion. She quietly went about her business caring for the
poor with compassion and dignity. Perhaps she didn't have time to
give global politics much thought because she was so busy being an
example of what love looks like. American Christians, who have succumbed
so completely to conspicuous consumption, will wonder that she made such an impact
without the trite t-shirt or or fish on her car, (oh wait, she didn't
have a car either). No time to order the WWJD bracelet because she was
acting it out in her life.
More believers are waking up to the fact that
we have been numbed to the needs of others by our boundless consumerism
and selfishness. Dave Ramsey has been teaching a "live within your
means and avoid debt" lesson for years. Recently a more radical idea has
come to the forefront led by minister David Platt, author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.
Here's a quote from an interview with The Christian Post:
"I think with the way we have unprecedented material blessing, with the way we have a culture
built on self, self-esteem, self-confidence. All of these things we
begin to twist the gospel into something that it is not. We make it look
like us and fit into our lifestyle instead of adjusting our lifestyle
to the gospel. In the process we make following Jesus more American than
it is biblical. As a result there seems to be a major disconnect
between what it means to follow Christ in the first century and what it
means to follow Christ in our definition in the 21st century America."
We
have become so like the culture we rail against. Entangled. Enmeshed.
Embracing the materialism while criticizing many who need our help. For
Christians with a Biblical world view (to include belief in a literal
spiritual enemy) wouldn't this be a brilliant diversionary tactic? It
gives us the illusion of being busy with good things while letting the
things Christ actually told us to do, go largely undone. It comes with
the side benefit of drowning out a message of love.
Ten
or fifteen years ago I had the opposite opinion on all this. I was busy
lobbying, writing letters, calling my representatives, and not exactly
showing very much love to those who disagreed with me. It felt right to
be filled with such (probably self) righteous indignation. I
would have argued shamelessly with someone saying what I'm saying here.
But the proof should be in the fruit that comes of all this effort and
energy we've expended. What are we getting for all this? The culture is
getting worse, not better. Are our tirades winning hearts and minds to
Christ (isn't that our goal)? We have become the persnickety spinster
aunt of the culture who is miserable and doesn't want anyone having any
fun, instead of the wise family member with a gentle spirit whose
counsel is sought in hard times. Are we doing what Peter said and giving
an account of our faith with gentleness and respect to anyone who asks?
Is anyone asking?
No comments:
Post a Comment