As I hear and read messages in today's American Body, I scratch my head.
There seems to be a common theme (marketing message) going out. I just came across two instances in Christian media of this today:
"Jesus will lift you up. Call on Jesus and he will lift you up out of your circumstances. Jesus will lift you above what you're facing, above what you're going through, etc."
That makes me wonder: is that why so many Christians aren't relatable to the hurting?
I get it now.
The general message in American Christianity is "let Jesus lift you up to this positive, blessed bubble we Believers live in".
It's "come up here to where we are" instead of "let me get down with you and what you're facing. Scooch over so I can hop down into the mire and ride this out with you."
Speaking of relatability, what must go through the mind of a widow who can't make rent when they see their fellow church member drive off in a Mercedes?
What goes through an orphan's heart when they hear about another child in Sunday School's birthday party, complete with a moonwalk in the backyard?
What about Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Some in the Body will serve up turkey and dressing at the mission on the weekend before Thanksgiving.
How many of us would bring a homeless person who hasn't showered in two weeks into our home on Thanksgiving Day?
How many of us would have a non-family member welcomed in our home on Christmas Day, amidst our eyebrow-raising and nose-snooping Christian relatives?
There is compassion in the Body, but there is definitely some arm-stiffening as well, physically and emotionally.
And shouldn't there be? After all, getting dirty with the hurting might soil our Sunday clothes. Might smear the ladies' makeup. Leave stains on the velvet padded pews.
Jesus really has no place in the American Body today.
He is not about prestige. He's not about glamour. Not about being heralded. Doesn't have a slogan or catch-phrase He employs to be remembered by.
I guess we're supposed to take Christianity as it is in the 21st century, instead of noting Jesus hung out with the most prominently despised people in town. And they WELCOMED him to hang out with them.
It doesn't seem He'd answer the scoffers' and doubters' questions like they're answered today.
That's another thing about present Christianity. Aren't we a lot about verbal banter and discussion, and very little about signs accompanying faith?
Paul said "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power".
It's been said here before. Mankind has an innate desire to believe and see the supernatural, yet more people believe in the imagination of Harry Potter and other movie plots and special effects than they do in the Creator of the universe doing miraculous wonders.
There's more anticipation of seeing miraculous finishes in sporting events, which do occur, than there is expectation for God to move in power. While we sit on our hands and engage in a faith of words and verbal pecking, it should be added.
I think this pecking is tied to the major premise of trying to convince people to rise up to Christianity.
And I see Jesus time and again getting down to where people are.
Two different approaches. Vastly different.
I've had a couple of friends get down in the shit I'm dealing with in life right now, riding it out with me. Rolled up their sleeves and are right alongside in the stench and the filth.
Their worth is beyond description in these silly words we humans use to express things.
5 comments:
Good stuff......
I like what John Eldredge said about modern day Christianity's version of Jesus. That we've made him out to be like Mr. Rogers with a beard.
yes. The "nice factor" is definitely alive and well.
And the "nice" thing, in my opinion, ties into the belief that the Way is to be a PR campaign for Jesus, complete with slogans, nifty marketing techniques and "friendly salesmen".
(This is in NO way a reflection on the book 'The Greatest Salesman in the World'. That is one of the three best books ever written, imo, along with the Bible and one other.)
We treat Jesus like a product, and we're the cheery sales force.
I look at how we generally do this, and then I read where Jesus, when He sent disciples out said "refrain from [retarding your journey by] saluting and wishing anyone well along the way" (Luke 10, Amplified Bible).
Wow.
I like
duh. Last post finished "I like...".
Was just going to say I like the Amplified translation. The NIV in that same simply says "do not greet anyone on the road".
This is fascinating. Mysterious.
Jesus didn't just say it cause He had nothing else to do (probably). :-) And yet look at the circus we've made it, and I wonder "what the hell are we doing?"
Great stuff to ponder.
Yes! And that's what goes through my mind. We're bombarded with "effective" ways to "evangelize" by constantly approaching every living man, animal, and fish with those "methods", and woe to you if you don't follow the way they tell you to. So we're made into sales people selling a product. We forget that non-believers can smell bullshit when it's under their noses. We forget to be transparent, that we bleed like they do, that we cry when there's pain. But that there's hope. And that's why Jesus continually blows my mind, and keeps drawing me to Him. Because although He is the only Way, there is not only 1 way to share Him, even though it seems that way from most Christians. We've even got freaking Kirk Cameron selling products on how to share your faith! Aaaggghhhh!!!!
Have you ever read Steve Brown's books before? He's got some great stuff to say. He has a problem with "nice" Christianity too. He always says, "Jesus didn't die to make you 'nice'. He died to make you His!"
His website is www.keylife.org
Great chatting with you...
Amen. The more I step back and look at what we're (collectively) doing as the Body, um, how do I put this...it stinks. (i.e., EXACTLY what you say that others can smell bullshit).
We do treat Jesus like a product, complete with sales "techniques", overcoming objections to potential customers, etc.
It's amazing that one of the strongest things Jesus did (that's recorded in black and white) was SCALD people who treated God as a business (money) operation.
And look at us.
I've got thoughts brewing for a post that looks at this whole Christianity-as-Marketing thing. It is ugly and painful to be associated with this.
I cannot help but think how much God shakes His head at this, which again ties in exactly to your comment about Jesus dying to make us His:
Think about this "sales pitch" we do. I've done this very same thing, using these very same words.
We market about the Way as inviting Jesus into our heart. We ask Him to come into our life, our job, our relationships, our finances, our hobbies, our whatever.
We "witness" (and live ourselves) about having Jesus come join us.
And yet Jesus says very clearly "come follow Me".
Another friend and I have had some great conversations of this recently.
We invite the Lord to come be in our life, and the Truth is He wants us to come be a part of what He's doing.
Same thing with prayer. Prayer is (largely, at least in the church and small groups I've been going to) a time to bring our laundry list of requests to God of what we want Him to do and move in in our lives.
What I'm beginning to get to the root of is, prayer is when I align with what God's doing, not when I ask Him to align with what I want.
Granted, we're His children, and just as father He wants to know of His childrens' needs, but honestly this seems largely to be taken to the extreme, prayer becomes a 'let me tell You what I need or want help with' venture, and before God has a chance to respond we've already slammed the prayer closet door in His face. He's standing there, mouth open (should I capitalize Mouth? heh heh), was about to speak, and we're gone, baby.
One of my staple verses since I began this blog is Matthew 7:21-23. More and more recently I've begun to shudder at the volume of reality of this verse.
We walk around largely thinking if there's a situation at hand that we're automatically to pitch in our $.02 because we have "the Answer", Jesus Christ.
Well, it's true we know the Creator, but I'm learning that unless the Holy Ghost is prompting me I should just chew on things. If I don't get anything from Him, I shouldn't force a response, solution or "fix" for folks.
And that's one of the recent frustrations I've also noted heavily online here, is the enormous amount of hollow cliches thrown my way by well-meaning, God-loving, Jesus-embracing Followers. Running across way too many folks who think they are to say something about everything.
Ties back to the "don't greet anyone along the road" from earlier. Look at what we're doing (in the name of Jesus, mind you, so uh...that makes it okay and justified. right?) And I got my hand raised as I type this. It's amazing what the Lord is having me unlearn about many things I've been taught and many things I've done, in the name of Jesus...oops.
Of course, many upon hearing this would break out into a "but you're sowing seeds, brother, and so are we."
Well, the folks in those Matthew 7 verses were telling Jesus about some pretty strong stuff they've done in His name (cast out demons, perform miracles), and even then He says "you missed it. Get out of here."
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