The Gospel According to Bono

"The Left mocks the Right. The Right knows it's right. Two ugly traits. How far should we go to try to understand each other's point of view? Maybe the distance grace covered on the cross is a clue."

Sorta sappy I know....

But isn't it true that Christianity is not about being right. That certainty is a myth. As J. Jacob Jenkins says, "Christianity is the continual understanding that we haven't all the answers. We haven't arrived. We are to always be aware of our imperfections since the moment of our salvation. Every step after that moment is paved by the same humility."

Love as an End! Thoughts from a flaming moderate!

A while back I wrote a piece on the problems of fundamentalism. This is part II, I guess. To recap...fundamentalism is mostly a dead end which can only serve to fossilize the gospel. And you notice that I didn't use the word' ultra-conservatism' as my example. I believe that ultra-liberalism can be dangerous as it too, seeks to prove how everyone else does not have a brain. I know...this simplifies it entirely too much and delutes everyone's ligitimate emotions about the issue.

But it is worth considering that a more, middle-of-the-road (and risky) approach could be discovered in laying down our agendas. Think about it. If I have an agenda before arriving at an interpretation of something or someone, then I have partcipited in a form of fundamentalist thought. For example, if I show compassion toward someone because I only want to lead them to Christ (or reveal Christ in me) then I am insincere in my action and thought. I'm not sure Jesus honors that at all. I admit that I am guilty in this area more than I would like to imagine.

J. Jacob Jenkins writes that it took him half his life to realize the value of love. In the first half of his life he believed that the only purpose for a Christian was to turn a skeptic into a follower and to win souls for Christ. But over time he learned to love as an end, not merely as a means.

We shouldn't reach out to someone because we can bring them to church. We should reach out to them.

We shouldn't befriend someone so that we can share Christ with them. Befriend them.

We shouldn't make friends with neighbors so that we can invite them to a church event. We should get to know our neighbors.

I am certain that Christianity is something that we are suppose to breathe in each day. Being a Christ-follower should be something that comes as natural as a breath of air instead of us reasoning through a certain situation in order to find out if it fits into our own moral and ethical guidelines. Our own morality, left on its own, has a tendency to let us down. It is undependable.

But what is dependable, unwavering, and never-changing is the new covenant based on Christ. Jesus never said that we, as followers, were to be so agenda-conscious (and so certain about it) that His teachings become unclear. We are only asked to 'return the favor' and be dependable, trustworthy, and unwavering in our commitment to him as he is to us.

Missing the Divine Dance!

Say No to Fundamentalism! I'm going to attempt something here that I've rarely been able to accomplish. I'm going to speak about fundamentalism without using the words conservative or liberal. I believe that fundamentalism can be an error in both camps so my goal will be to keep things civil. Sounds whimpy I know...but I believe it can be done.

J. Jacob Jenkins in his book, Buried Alive, writes about the first time he danced with a girl. He's not sure that anyone would describe it as dancing but his first attempt at it came with sweaty hands and shortness of breath. But everyone knows when the girl that you have a crush on wants you to dance...you dance. But Jenkins figured out a method. It was a formula to help him get through his very first dance with someone he really didn't know. Due to his fear of screwing up and making a fool of himself, he decided to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. This way nobody's toes would get squashed and the superficial crush could continue.

I took some liberties with Jenkins' account but you see where I am going with this. John Michael Montgomery once said, "Don't worry about what you don't know. Life's a dance. You learn as you go."

There is no real danger and no true risk of injury if we all just keep our feet on the ground. Just sway our hips back and forth, play church, and be nice. We all are guilty of making Jesus out who we want to be. But one thing is undeniably true: Christianity is intended to be life-giving and free. It offers a unique opportunity for purpose of existence and it provides special lenses in which to see and appreciate beauty. By playing it safe and not lifting our feet off of the fundamentalist foundation, we completely miss the joy of the dance. Fundamentalism demands ALL of our time and fossilizes the true nature of the gospel. Do you sense that I have an opinion on this?

I marvel at the way that people, myself included, have decided to come up with personalized (or institutionalized) formulas for living as a Christ follower. Usually, as Jenkins writes, this formula is nothing more than walking through life with a stiff neck and held breath. "Above all, love each other deeply" and "Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us" should make us ponder about our motives for living.

May we never forget: Christ is the end of the Law!

More on this to come.