For the record I am a Christian, that is, I am a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ and believe in His Resurrection. Yet, I hold much of Christianity at arms length and for the most part have removed myself from the "Christian culture". The impression Christianity gives me by the way it presents itself and the way it appears to those of us on the outside at times leaves me feeling uncomfortable and uneasy.
When I think of Christians what comes to mind are people who are living and enjoying the American dream. They are happy families with two well-behaved children, good jobs and have a middle to upper level income. Of course they attend church, which has a handsome, well-dressed pastor, his attractive and outgoing wife and of course two gifted children who themselves minister on the worship team. The members of their church are people whom are not unlike themselves who are lead in worship by someone who could easily be mistaken for a talented and sexy pop star. All of their lives seem annoyingly close to perfect, with a little hiccup here and there. Nonetheless praise reports and thanksgiving dominant the time of fellowship and after the service all of the beautiful families retreat to their vehicles in perfect harmony.
Aside from its people, the culture and business of Christianity is as wildly successful and flourishing as well. It has its mega churches, its celebrities, authors and rock stars. It has its Joel Osteen's and Rick Warren's authors of best selling books titled "Your Best Life Now" "Become a Better You" and "The Purpose Driven Life". Turn on the TV and see the Televangelists promising us better lives, healing and salvation with such passion while surrounded by their thousands of followers who pack the beautiful multimillion dollar buildings. The message that all of this sends me is "look at the great things God can do for you, look at how successful, and beautiful and happy we all are…why not join us?" Christianity is boasting how wonderful it is to "join the club" and all I can do is try not to puke.
To be honest I feel I have very little in common with "slap on the back, big smiles and praise the Lord" types. I believe, but I also have my struggles, doubts and pain, along with so many others who don't feel like this type of Christianity relates to them. Which is why for the moment I have walked away and why I am grieved, because when I look at the culture and visit some of its churches, sadly this is the Christianity I see.
Arrogant, proud, self-righteous, smug, pompous, opinionated,
dogmatic, intolerant, hypersensitive, touchy, emotional, animated and forced.
God gave us the Bible to be our guide and give us hope. It is a book that recounts the stories of blessings and triumph, Kings and wealth, bravery and honor. A book so highly respected that it sits on the nightstand of the wealthy, in the bookcase of the powerful and is in the briefcase of the important. The Bible and its words have been truth to slave owners, Presidents and oppressors. It is a sacred book that at times in history could only be read by a man or interpreted by a religious leader. It is a book for victors and champions, the strong and the brave. Basically at times it seems to be a book that is for everyone but us who are outside the four walls trying to survive.
However, in between the writings of blessing, triumph and wealth God does something that continues to touch and bless me. Almost as if he were to say, "I have not forgotten you, my poor, broken-hearted child. I have spoken to the others but now it is time for me to speak to you". And so he does.
God commands that no one should "take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry." Jesus himself blessed "the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." David in the psalms referred to God as "a Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows". Not quite the tagline to a flashy superhero but defiantly the heart of a gentle and compassionate God. Jesus tells a parable of a great banquet in which the master (who represents God) tells his servant "go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." God desires the presents of the outcasts of society and so once again hope is rekindled in the heart of discouraged and downcast.
Through all the victory parades and praise reports God gently reminds the downtrodden that he is still there beside them. It is as if among all the great accounts of achievement and people of honor, He has left little tidbits of hope sprinkled throughout the gospel for those in distress as well. In a way I imagine Gods heart towards us as if He sees those with tears in their eyes and slowly he slips away from the celebration to take care of his wounded, abandon child.
Though Christianity marches on God reminds the poor, the slaves, the rejected, those who feel they have had their very souls ripped away from them that he is right there beside them and he will see them through. As the mega churches experience revival, God comforts the pastor of the rundown, forgotten church of thirty-two members. As hundreds are saved at an evangelistic crusade, God whispers hope to an elderly woman living on the streets. As the perfect family of four travels home from church on Sunday, God gives a single mother a few moments of his peace as her crying child has finally fallen to sleep.
Personally I prefer the humble and the meek. I prefer the company of those that hold onto God because he is their very last hope and not because of his blessings. I am more comfortable with those who have emotional scars and wounded hearts. I feel a kinship with those who have wondered away. We believe in God not because of his blessing but because we must, it is all we have.
I don't feel the same urgency that many do in the Christian world that God must have a place in politics and education. I don't care if He wants to concern himself with building mega churches and ministries. The only thing I am concerned with is that he is apart of my life and continues to be one of the few things that holds it all together and gives me hope.
So Christianity continues on in its grand victorious march, smiles on the follower's faces and joy in their hearts. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that in God is the victory, salvation, healing and joy but in the world I live in so many of us have a losing record. We are down more than we are up. We cry more than we laugh. We pray for miracles, for hope and for just a simple whisper to know God is still there.
Thanks to a few scattered messages to us ragamuffins, at least in my dark, stormy, doubt-filled world I can still proclaim; "God is here!"
No comments:
Post a Comment