America is rapidly
losing faith. For the first time in her history, this country no longer counts
Protestant Christians as a majority. The ‘church’ has become increasingly
irrelevant in a nation where the vast majority would “rather sleep in or play golf on a Sunday morning.” (America
Is Losing Faith) A seismic shift in
cultural attitudes is happening in the next generation who religiously define
themselves as ‘nones,’ not at all meaning that they are without belief in God,
but that they refuse to align themselves with organized religion, particularly
with a Christian church. This trend is
wider than church. Younger Americans don’t
trust government, banks, or corporations, either.
In my opinion, most conservative Christians made a tragic
mistake 40 years ago with the birth of what has come to known as the ‘religious
right.’ We chose to align ourselves with a political movement and to seek to
enforce our values through restrictive laws. The good that the church does in the
name of Christ; feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, giving support to
grieving families, strengthening basic social structures, bringing a message of
eternal life, was obscured by the noisy attacks of media savvy preachers who
majored on condemnation of homosexuals, women who sought abortions, and
entertainment that they deemed unfit. Issues
of human rights, care for Creation, economic equality, peace, and justice went
largely ignored by conservative Christians, even as the nation moved progressively
on those issues.
Most tragically, the
Gospel became the Law, Christ’s glory hidden behind rhetoric of power. True or not, the church came to be viewed as
just another place where the old generation was using the instruments of the
establishment to protect their privilege.
So, what should those who love Jesus do? First of all, stop being so afraid! Fear is
the worst motivator in the world. Fearful people become defensive, shrill, and
angry. The Christian story in the book of Acts reveals the power of God that
will keep His Church alive. If we are
people of the Spirit, we can boldly go on the offense against the sins of the
world, but not as mean, angry, punitive people. Our offense is to be mounted in
long-suffering love. The Truth we tell is unyielding, but wrapped in the compassion
that Jesus showed for the sinners he met. Did He attack the adulterous woman?
No, He defended her with His love and then
challenged her to ‘go and sin no more!’
Did He attack Zacchaeus, the tax collector? No, He went to his house for
dinner and, while there, laid out the message of God’s redeeming grace. What happened? The greedy crook was transformed and gave
away his ill-gotten wealth!
We are called to bear the light in dark places. It’s what Christians
have always done. Jesus did not tell us to go wave banners, form coalitions, or
elect people to office to protect our privileges. He told us that we are “the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses
its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of
the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light
to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
(Matthew 5:13-17, NIV)
Our concern need not be ‘relevance.’ The ancient principles of God need not be
discarded in a vain attempt to attract sinners back to God by watering down His
Word. But, we must be people of integrity who are committed to living His Word
in its entirety. God’s people will value
the gift of life, but not just when it comes to abortion. They will also defend
those who die when drones rain bombs on civilians in poor nations. God’s people will value moral covenants, and
keep their own marriage vows. God’s
people will be willing to give up their own lives by unselfishly giving away
their wealth. We must shed our concern about being safe, about having our ‘rights.’ Remember, in most places and throughout 2,000 years of history, true Christians have
been a persecuted minority. What did Jesus say? “Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you
out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is
too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that
happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven
applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have
always gotten into this kind of trouble." (Matthew 5:11-12, The
Message)
And, yes, we will major on the Gospel, realizing that the
true change is one that begins in the heart when the Spirit gives life. We preach Christ, not rules. He makes us righteous, not regulations. Here’s a word from the Word. As we live it, God will build His Church! Even as the world goes to Hell all around us,
and yes, the sins of sensuality and self-indulgence will bring death; let us
remember to preach Christ.
"So when we
preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say
it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and
Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.
This “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and
God’s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.
Remember, dear
brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or
powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose
things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are
wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God
chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used
them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can
ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in
Christ Jesus.
For our benefit God
made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God.
He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom."
(1 Corinthians 1:23-30, NLT)
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment