This last semester I received an assignment to write a 15 minutes sermon on Luke 24. Not a big deal. Then the class was asked if we were willing to share it in a one on one setting, I thought "Piece of Cake". Then the challenge; we had to give it to someone who was not a Christian. And that is when I came to the a sad realization that all the close friends I have in Eugene are Christians. Theres something wrong with that.
At my college we have an old joke that there is a bubble around campus that keeps outsiders away, which would be funny if it wasn't true. I understand how busy college life is. I'm a pretty good example of someone who has a habit of over committing, but I don't understand why we feel good about ourselves as Christians when most of our ministries are focused internally. There are plenty of folks at our school who aren't Christians. Considering the narcissism that we (here I could just as easily write "I", and would if I wasn't trying to blame my issues on someone else)display it's not hard to see why "they" have not become "us".
That takes me back to my point for writing this. Most interactions I have with people off campus are me buying things. Which, unless you count coffee, I don't do very often(Though I do frequent the Starbucks near campus enough to know the names of the baristas.) I don't participate in outreaches often, mostly because I don't like them very much (A topic for another time). I guess what eats me is that it has become so hard to relate to non and pre-Christians. Every day I can expect to have several conversations about God, and if I'm lucky will even get to argue theology with people (I love telling people that their wrong). I've grown much as a person and a Christian because of these, and that's great. But how much is Christ a part of my life if I no longer desire to spend my time with kind of people he chose as his friends?
When I read my Bible, which doesn't happen as often as I'd like, it impresses me how messed up Jesus' friends were. Look at who he chose to be his disciples. We have Simon who was a Zealot, known for their hatred towards Rome. Then there's Matthew the tax collect, a profession associated with dishonesty and greed. Then there's Peter, who in his own words was a sinful man. Not to mention that Pete and a few other disciples were fishermen. If you've never been to a port city before, sailors aren't the cleanest folks around. Then we have the prostitutes, beggars, demon possessed, and lepords he would heal and then invite to become his followers. Many of them were gentiles too. Today's equivalents to these would be our panhandlers (Bartimaeus), sluts (John 4), and the car repo-men (zacheas). and these scumbags were were Jesus' friends.
I should mention that each of them was also his friend before they made the decision to follow him. Makes me think that belonging does come before believing. I hardly have any friends that don't already follow Christ. So the kind of folks Jesus would hang with are way out of my comfort zone. I don't even like most Christians. If you doubt me on that just go read a history of my Facebook statuses. I don't always say nice things about the church.
So here I am, a third year ministry student who doesn't know how to interact with the secular world, but doesn't like living in the Christian one. It's a shame that the two are so far apart. I'm not sure how often the two interact, but it's not very often in my life. Whenever I talk with someone who does not believe in God I have no idea how to carry myself. I don't want to offend them, but I also feel the need to tell them of my friendship with God. I'm not a great friend to him or even people in general, but if I could just get folks to see how my relationship with Jesus is helping me change that I think they might understand why I've chosen to believe. But I don't think that the goal of our friendships should be to convert people to Christianity. If it is we'll miss out on the joys of relationship. Instead we should try and love people like God does.I suppose that's why the rejects followed him; Jesus sincerely loved them. It's what has kept me believing.
I think that this would be a good way for me to deal with Christians too. Maybe they would annoy me less if I loved them more. Or maybe not, but at least Jesus and I would have a little more in common. I think it helps friendships grow stronger when you have a lot in common. Either way, what I am asking God for this Christmas is that my heart will grow three sizes this year. And that my eyes would start to see people a little more like he does. Though I suppose that these two go together; the more I love someone the more I will see them as God does, and the more I view them like he does, the more I will love them. It's not a bad gift to put on my list, don't you think?
More to come
-Jed
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I like this a lot, Jed, and have had many of the same thoughts. Three comments based on my experience: (1) Christ loves and died for all, including everyone who rejects him. The Church is, eschatologically, the body of Christ, and consequently does what He does. (2) But the present Church, like all of us individually, is a mixture of sinfulness and Glory. We can trust God to perfect us and the Church, while always admitting that we're not perfect yet. If your local church's only ministries are either trying to convert outsiders or help insiders, then it is a social club trying to increase its membership; if that's all there is (and I have no idea 'cause I don't know where you go to church!), then I'd suggest either dragging that church into the body of Christ or moving yourself to one that's engaged in loving the world. These aren't just "outreaches" -- they are the reason for the Church's existence. The more we give ourselves selflessly to and for others, the more we are living into our calling as Church. (3) We don't create the Church; God does. Every time we die to self, it's because God has given us the grace to do so. This is Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Be patient with yourself -- and with the Church. God changes us for our whole life long, which is why He gives us a lifetime. Your desire is rightly placed, so you can be confident that He will mold you ever more into the image of Christ. My experience, at any rate, suggests that He will do it at His own pace, which is generally about eight times beyond what anyone can tolerate without pain. Our transformation into His resurrected body is accomplished by our being crucified with Him.
ReplyDeleteSo in growing up as a Christian, going to church and what not, it almost seems like we have to reverse our whole way of thinking to actually interact with people outside the church. We kind of have this mask over everything we say when talking to people who dont believe that is always reminding us...we need to help this person, we need to inform them of God somehow and in some way. I know that I started to realize this about myself over the last couple of years and how tiring it is. Why not just make it simple and just listen and be a damaged human being along side them. Why do we need to always help this person or change them in some way. If you are meant to be the change then it will happen on its own, stop forcing it.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I am saying is that I totally agree with what you are saying. I find myself in that place where I dislike so many christians and yet there is so much I dislike about the "world" as well. Its amazing how much the church turns me off and yet I know I believe.
But despite that, it seems so much more natural for me to get to know people and love what makes them individual, then figure out their innerworkings so I can slip a message in about Jesus so they can know. All that stuff will come later...if its meant to.
There is so much more I could say, my thoughts are anything but organized right now, but this was an awesome post to read.
- Josh