I think this will come out cynical. I don't mean it to be. I only hope that it will raise some questions and provoke some thoughts. I have recently (and by recently I mean over the last year or so) been placed in a several situations where I have been able to hear the stories of those around me. All of these occasions have been with Christians and all have been real, by that I mean that in all cases people have made themselves vulnerable and shared hard truths.
When reading through the Bible and in studying the writings of some early Christians, I have gotten the idea in my head that, in following Christ, our lives should be transformed, and in that transformation we should be left different than the world. I think it is clear in the teachings of both the New Testament and Tanakh (The Jewish scriptures or the Christian Old Testament) that people who have encountered God look different than those who have not. I don't think it is a stretch to say that early Christians left their non-Christian counterparts flabbergasted by their "bizarre" behaviors and strange customs. I believe that our world has not changed so much for that better that Christians don't stand out because everyone is so good. And I believe Christ's words in John 10:10 that says He has come to give us abundant life.
Now here's where I am wrestling. In the life stories I have been able to hear from fellow Christians it is striking how many (including myself) have suffered from some sort of serious depression. I am taken aback by that truth. In studying divorce rates I have learned that both secular and Christian marriages has near identical divorce rates. And I know of equal numbers of Christian and non-Christian friends struggling with some form of addiction whether it is drugs, alcohol, or pornography. I understand that we live in a fallen world. I understand that a Christian would follow Christ because of an awareness of self-brokenness; and I understand that upon conversion our problems don't go away. But why, why do we look so similar to the world around us? Why don't we stand out like those who came before us. Why is our life no different from our neighbors, and why do we seem to be missing out on this abundant life we were offered? I understand that an abundant life contains highs and lows, ups and downs, but really? I don't think that those being welcomed into the Church are experiencing it in any form of an regular basis. I don't have anything resembling an answer to this. I only have the tension of two truths; one, we follow a transformational God and two, I see a major lack in transformation.
Is this the ultimate trick of the devil in modern times? To make us think we look different than our neighbors, to make us think that we are experiencing the best God has to offer? Are we going to wake up and realize what we're missing? I don't think we have to wait for God's return to earth. But I think it's clear that there is something wrong. We claim that we follow the one true God (it's a claim I wholeheartedly believe in) but why on earth would some of those sceptics believe us when we are so darn broken? I just feel like something is missing? Thoughts?
The goings on of Sprague Young Life and the Epicness that ensues!
2 comments:
Mat, what I absolutely love about your blog entries, is that they not only convey your thoughts, but provoke thinking in the reader and invite further discussion and contemplation. You are the perfect Chaplain/Blogger.
I’ve really struggled with the idea of transformation since being here. Being in a secular NGO, surrounded by and working with non-Christians, I wondered “how are we different?”. They too are here for service and furthering development in Sierra Leone, but I really had to work out why I am here, and how I am going to continue to be transformed into the image of Christ through this situation. I’ve learned so much about myself and how I fit in this world. I’ve been grappling with the dichotomy of not separating myself from the world and the people in it, but actively engaging in it, while keeping my heart on Christ and doing His work.
I think people are scared of transformation, and I know I’ve been plagued with spiritual passivity for years. Transformation is raw, difficult and challenging, and many don’t wrestle with it, missing out on the abundant life we are offered. It breaks my heart that people, including myself, choose sin and the pain that ensues over renewal and restoration.
Mat, I speak only for myself, but I believe I have lost in my thinking the horrors of Hell and the bliss of Heaven, both real places. The reality is shared in two books called: "A divine revelation of Heaven", and "A divine revelation of Hell". I recently read these on line @:(http://spiritlessons.com/a_divine_revelation_of_heaven) and @:(http://spiritlessons.com/Mary_K_Baxter_A_Divine_Revelation_of_Hell.htm).
Check them out and you will see that these will scare the H--- out of you, and that these encounters square with the words of Christ in the Gospels.
They have motivated me to get right with God and persue Him more faithfully.
God be with you in your seeking.
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