Me, Two

"When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package" (John Ruskin).

I confess that my previous post "Me" was nothing but pure, intentional sarcasm. One could hardly take it seriously, but there is a point.

I have questions...

Just how much does our culture influence the church in America? How much of our understanding of the Christian faith is formed by our capitalistic zeal, consumerism, and greed?

I wonder how we could read the scriptures -- especially Jesus -- and come to the conclusion that Jesus died for our happiness, our prosperity, our success, and our American dream?

Donald Kraybill, professor at Elizabethtown College, says, "Modern culture produces individualists whose prime objective is personal fulfillment." One need not look to hard before finding the Christian bookstore specializing in some of the latests "it's all about me" products or a local church marketing itself to the spiritual consumer with promises of self-improvement and personal fulfillment. Personally, I believe there is more to the message of Christ than this "Jesus in a bottle".

Much more.

I believe we are called "out" and into a radical attachment to Jesus, not where we simply believe things about Jesus or even believe in Jesus but where we love Jesus, follow Jesus, and imitate Jesus. We value the Sermon on the Mount and hang onto his words as words of life. The teachings of Jesus challenges us (and even terrifies us) but yet we know he is right. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

A radical understanding of Jesus teaches us to say "no" to our sense of entitlement. I will never forget the moment one of my youth in Northern Ireland told me that because she was a daughter of the King, God wanted her to have all good things...and that included the Mercedez she wanted (and apparently deserved). It's fascinating to me that we are already the most prosperous people on the planet and yet we think we are entitled to more. Perhaps one of the biggest weaknesses of our age is our inability to see the difference between our need and our old-fashioned greed.

A radical understanding of Jesus teaches us to say "no" to self-agrandizement. I recently received an email from an popular youth-oriented ministry promoting their new summer missions campaign they've called "One Million Acts of Service". "What if the world saw us do one million acts of sacrificial service?" the email asked. But should we be keeping score? Whatever happened to the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, quietly serving in love and humility? What room is there for boasting and bragging about our "good works", even if they are for Jesus? "Service whose goal is to elevate the servant is no service at all. It is egocentric at best and exploitive at its worst" (David Augsburger, "Dissident Discipleship"). When we "serve", what is our motive?

A radical understanding of Jesus teach us to cease from assessing value to other people's lives based on their usefulness to us (or to "the cause" for that matter). Our culture teaches us to assign worth to people based on what they can do for us. Jesus teaches us to see the value of every life. Period. I cease to be a loving husband when I only value my wife for what she can do for me. I cease to be a loving friend when I base my friendships on what they can provide for me. I cease to be a loving teacher when I only appreciate the student who is cooperative and productive. I cease to be a loving neighbor when I place conditions on how I treat them. I cease to represent Christ when I judge, dismiss, ignore...

I may be branded a heretic for writing this, but the point of the Christian faith is not simply my salvation. I don't know how one could seriously consider the words of Jesus and come to that conclusion. Jesus challenges me to re-think my selfish ambition and vain conceit. It changes our lives to read about this Jesus who washed feet and asked us to do the same.

David Augsburger, from his book "Dissident Discipleship" asks some good questions: "If the goal of life is not to be better, bigger, more perfect, more capable, more competitive, more admired, or more famous, then what is it? If the signs of God's blessing are not prosperity, sweeping success, wealth, mega-spirituality, mega-acclaim, leadership in a mega church, or being remembered in generations that follow, then what are they?" (p. 97).

Really good questions...

I think Jesus will always challenge our cultural dispositions and norms...even our religious ones. He calls us to re-consider all things, and I think we must consider them often. We must, even, reconsider ourselves.