You gotta help me out here. Sure wish you would weigh in on this. I could be totally wrong/off with it. I admit that. I'm just 'talking,' OK? Just blathering on and maybe I don't have a clue what in the world I'm talking about just now. If you want, PLEASE tell me so. I can handle it. I'm sorting thru it all.
There is something inside me that bristles when we put "CHRISTIAN" in front of everything. Let me qualify that -- obviously Christian CHURCHES - I get that. We have a Christian SCHOOL where we teach Godly principles in the context of education to our children. Again, I'm more than OK with that. But I'm talking about Christian VITAMINS and Christian SAFETY PINS, Christian DIRECTORIES, Christian SYMBOLS on our cars so everyone will know there's a Christian DRIVER in there - or to get out of the way in case the rapture takes place, 'CUZ THIS CAR AIN'T GONNA HAVE NOBODY AT THE WHEEL," etc.
I know we want to be in the world but not of it. Scriptural. We want Jesus integrated into the whole of our lives. We want to be obedient to the Bible in not being 'conformed to the world.' Right. Got it. We just don't know how to do it.
One of our strategies? Extreme strategies? Boycotting things - because we have this fear of being tainted by the world. So we withdraw from it. Churches become havens to shelter us from the reprobates 'out there.'
And then ... we try to sanctify even the most basic activities for the sake of "Christian." Drinking coffee, exercising, cleaning. Nothing can be gray. Everything must be black or white. So when something gray arises, we make a Christian alternative out of it that somehow sanctifies it. So we're no longer content with coffee - now we have Christian coffee. No longer content with jewelry - we have Christian jewelry. Christian workout clubs. Christian furniture stores.
We categorize art, music, philosophy and entertainment as sacred or secular. Then we reject all the secular categories and embrace the sacred ones. Not only is that a bad strategy, it's just bad theology. While there IS a system that is set against the principles and purposes of God, not everything the world produces is bad.
But we don't need to label something Christian in order for it to be good. God doesn't need labels to find us and we certainly shouldn't need labels to find Him. Sure, there are things we should stay away from, but God has given us a mind, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and good leaders to help us know those things. Our categories have become the lazy Christian's guide to decision-making.
So - I don't know. What do you think? Too edgy? Too imbalanced? Let me know. I'm not always right.
And be blessed.
8 comments:
That is a great blog. I came to Christ within the last few years, and I sometimes feel guilty about "non-Christian" pleasures.
For example, before I came to Christ I was on a bus reading Herman Melville's "Confidence Man" and a well-meaning Christian handed me a pamphlet. Instead of saying, "Here's something you might find interesting", they made the argument that reading Melville gets me no closer to God. If anything speaks to the beauty of God's creation, it's the amazing works of our greatest authors. Who gave Melville the ability to write Moby Dick? That's God's work too.
I still feel that guilt sometimes if I pick up a Ted Williams biography or something secular like that even though I know it's OK. I feel like it's an experience I wont share with people from church because I feel like they will treat it as wasted time or they'll think I'm a part-time Christian. When you go to some of their houses, every book on the shelf looks like something bought from the Bread Store and it reinforces that guilt. I don't know what to do about that.
First of all, thank you for being courageous enough to stand up as a leader in the church and take a twisted remnant of the holiness movement head-on...or blog-on.
Clearly, there are good things about separating yourself from sinful behaviors and even avoiding certain risky situations that could lead to sin or "tainting" your testimony - however, when taken too far it leads to elitism, prejudice and separation from the very people God calls us to love.
Another significant problem that the "Christian" sub-culture presents is that it causes Christians to skew the understanding of salvation and the Christian experience. They begin to define their salvation by what they do/do not do instead of who they are in Christ and what Christ has done for them. Instead of looking towards God and growing in a relationship with him, they spend their life making sure they have the right books on the coffee table, the right radio station on in the car, the right painting up on the wall yadda yadda yadda - boundary marker Christianity (thank you mr. ortberg) Not to mention how much MONEY Christians WASTE on their 'Purpose Driven' key chain, tote bag, leather bound special edition devotional and DVD set...meanwhile they claim things are "too-tight" when the collection plate comes around for a starving family in Africa or needy family in the church. The Christian sub-culture is breeding and grooming lazy, Bible illiterate, unintelligent, judgmental sheep who are quick to follow the latest Christian trend yet remain ineffective in God's call to go into all the world and represent him. (paraphrase, of course) These 'christians' are afraid to walk into a bar, talk to an unbeliever (lest they be challenged in the least) or even listen to 'secular' music...c'mon people.
I believe God uses anyone he chooses to communicate his love, beauty, creativity, grace, mercy...and so on. Yes, I said ANYONE. Not just Christians. If we could just open our eyes and appreciate the creativity that God has given to his creation - participate in life with everyone else instead of avoiding everything - now THAT is "in the world, not of it". How can we expect to affect the world if we don't even go there?
Maybe next time you're thinking about buying another new, leather Bible for your collection, you should consider giving that money to someone who hasn't had a meal in a week - or maybe next time you judge that co-worker because they listen to the rock station and go out for a smoke once in a while you should get to know them and appreciate who God created them to be. Remember, we were all made in God's image - not just Christians and in the end no one will come to the father but by Jesus - no, not even the hottest christian book or CD. Get out there and live life with everyone - skip the Monday night Christian basketball league, Tuesday Bible study, Wednesday service, Thursday small group, Friday Christian couples night, Saturday Men's breakfast once in a while and spend some time living with your neighbors - they will know us by our love - not by our Jesus fish glimmering ever so brightly as we cruise down I-94 only 7mph over the limit blasting the latest Casting Crowns album.
DARREN:
WOW! This comment should have been a BLOG all its own. Bravo.
My readers digest opinion on this?
I think it's wonderful to be a Christian. I also think that when you begin to label and put everything in 1 of 2 categories (Christian vs. Non-Christian), you find yourself in a very insulated world. Some people will always think it is wrong, but I want to live and experience life. I believe that I can do that, as a Christian, without putting myself in a "Christian box"....
In many ways, it's simply all about *labels*. Let's put a label on who we are and what we believe in. If we label ourselves, we are telling the world who we are. In some ways, that can be a good thing,in the beginning anyway.
It makes us feel good to have people see, OH look! They MUST be christian, they have that fish thing on their car! It puts us head and shoulders above those dreadful secular types.
We can buy these things from our very own christian stores and thus, supporting our *way* of life and our beliefs. In fact, if we don't shop at our very own christian stores, and if we don't buy all these wonderful things that tell the world, we are christian, are we then turning our backs on the very people we should be?
This soothes our vanity. Gives us that small smug inside smile, while outside we show *empathy* to those who don't have all the wonderful gadgets, gizmos and books that cry out, CHRISTIAN PERSON HERE!
Funny, in the good old olden days of yore, it was enough to simply live the life we hope will be pleasing to God to proclaim to one and all, we are believers in Christ.
For the longest time, I was guilty of doing all that. Guilty of snatching up anything that would show the world I believe! SEE? I have that fish thingy on my car! When in reality? It didn't make me or my family any better than that dreaded secular person, in fact, in so many ways, it made me worse. In thought, deed and works. It was a humbling teaching to be shown I was no better in the eyes of God, than the most humble of person who went quietly about their days smiling with the Lord.
Good Morning PK,
Very interesting blog, I like it. It makes you, me, us think about this world and our role in it. I think it is important to know a lot about good things and not so good things so that we truly know or understand how blessed we are and we are not just assuming. True people do not have to tell people they are Christians, their actions will speak for themselves. I doubt Paul labeled things as "Christian" or "non-Christian", however I think that the disctinctions that are applied are well intended. And with a bit of humor from Mel Brooks, "Badges, we don't need no stink'n badges"
AARON:
Thanks for weighing in. Love the Mel Brooks reference. I'll have to remember that one.
This is a thought provoking topic and it should be. It’s not like a ‘fish’ symbol or things like that can really define anything about Christianity. (Interesting story behind it, tho.) It makes me ask myself, “How ‘loud’ should I wear my Christianity?" in any given environment.” Affirming any signs of ‘life’ in a person is always a good thing. It requires sensitivity but it is also reciprocal. Research supports the fact that the trendy and techy ways we are communicating these days are becoming less authentic and less personal. Still, God is very personal about how he relates to each one of us. It may not seem cool if someone puts a bumper sticker on their car with the intention that it would honor God, but if God is personally blessed by it...how would i know? He sees the heart. That matters to me. God can use anything. Why tear anybody down? Aren’t we really just looking too horizontally? God “blesses” where there is unity.(Psalms 133) I have noticed that is not really a rare thing to find unity among people of every race, age, economic status, level of maturity,etc., when we truly reach ground zero at the foot of the cross...it goes far beyond our cultural styles and differences,...and that is very cool! Most of us tend to stay away from clothes we don’t like, or food, art and music that we don’t feel is inspired, or is not our ‘taste’. In a way, that puts us in our own little sub-culture of friends. As the old saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together. It's just our nature; we are 'best understood' and ‘most comfortable’ in the company of those who see things our way. And yet, our ‘real friends’ may be the ones who challenge us because they do love us...enough to tell us the truth. The relationship always qualifies the message. God is always drawing people to the cross because He doesn't want us to be separated for ever. God’s Words can be sent out in many creative ways… but, there’s no mistaking love. That defines us as Christians. It's not the outward things, or even our good deeds. We simply sense God more when we pray and less when we don’t. Over the years, I’ve seen more than a few sweet people become a little proud and casual about their convictions and ultimately destroy their families.(and call it love) Satan doesn’t tempt with the obvious sin of adultery as often as he subtly lures unasuming beleivers toward idols. He doesn’t care what kind of hook he gets in our nose. If God is not our first love, then we are open to all kinds of ‘ideas’ that could lead us anywhere. I believe there is a spiritual DNA to every idea—whether we call it secular or Christian. Music has a huge influence and subtle appeal to either our flesh or our spirit. We are in the world...I don't often see us becoming too separate. We can usually stand to get more vertical and still be okay. Jesus gave us a new commandment (actually made an old one possible). #1-Love God..., #2-Love your neighbor...,(in that order). The worst thing I could do for a non-believer would be to forget how much I need JESUS. The relationship qualifies the message. He died for us. HE helps us change what needs to change. His kindness leads us to repentance. That separates us from the world. Seeing a life transformed(from the inside out) gives everyone hope.
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