Good talk last night... good because it left all the wheels in my head turning really fast. The crux of my frustration is that although the "conclusion" we came to was that we have to love, what's often taught and said (in this case, the video) really sends the message "We have to DO". It's not about loving people... it's about how to inject their lives w/ the pestering of proselytizations! DO this and you too can be a good Christian! Because all good Christians show their love to their friends by "working on them" for years and decades.
Earlier in the day, I had a talk w/ my car pool buddy about feeding the poor as Christians. We discussed the motivation and I expressed my annoyance w/ the idea that some Christians would only feed the poor when it fulfilled their mission to evangelize. While one can easily argue that side of things, I think it's extremely difficult to credibly and seriously make the claim that you are going to love people unconditionally when you have ulterior motives... no matter how sincere and love-driven those motives are. If Jesus' ministry had centered around trying to convince people that he was the Messiah or getting them to change their behavior, it would have been an utter failure. He loved people unconditionally. Yet, when we are told the story of the woman at the well, we are ALWAYS reminded that Jesus told her to "go and sin no more". The point of the story was that Jesus loved this woman unconditionally and made her human again in a society that had marginalized her. The point was NOT that people shouldn't commit adultery. So we should feed the poor because we are overflowing with love and care for them and we want to (perhaps as a result of following Christ!), but we shouldn't feed them out of a desire to convert them. Am I wrong here?
So when we talk about evangelism, I have a hard time with it. I realize that the whole point of evanglism is to "convert"! But the way it is executed leaves me (and obviously many non-believers) with a sour taste in my mouth. It's hard to argue that it's about the love. It's easy to see it being about the conversions. It's not just the revival-style either. That video kinda made me sick. I don't want to be someone else's project... I don't care how much they love me! If something really is the truth, won't it be a bit more self-evident than having to spend a decade befriending someone to convince them?
Sorry to be such a stick in the mud on this. Thoughts? Flames?
-Chewie
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5 comments:
Thanks for your thoughts Chewie.
This weekend in Roanoke (the best place on earth) I had two intense conversations with my family about 1) evangelism and 2) serving the poor and marginalized.
I say intense because of the very tensions you point out in your post and I believe were evident in the home group conversation that we had last night. It is very difficult to talk about our lives in these abstract ways, and then when we try to give examples (like the video) it seems canned or turns people into projects, when it may very well be that it is a reflection of an authentic connection that brings hope and possibilities to others who may have a hard time taking a first step towards someone who is in deep need of redemption.
I have a couple thoughts to consider:
1) When John the Baptist asked if Jesus was the one he had been waiting for Jesus responded by saying, report what you have seen happen (and then he lists the miracles and ways that Jesus lived)
2) I disagree that Jesus' ministry wasn't about showing people that he was the messiah. I think that was a key part of his ministry. He asked the disciples, who do you say that I am? He confronted the rulers of this world with his authority and he asked people to leave everything to follow him... this seems like evangelism to me???
3) Danielle, my sister in law, made a good point after our 2 hour conversation... she said, "too many minds". sometimes we talk and theorize ourselves to death rather than just living, just loving, and just seeking jesus. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't talk and debate, but I think sometimes we make our heads spin because we can't express the conclusions of our hearts with the words of our mouths.
4) If I believe that Jesus Christ has changed my life,(which I do)) I can't but help spill those changes over into others. I don't want to be ashamed of the gospel. There is hope and there is grace, there is more than ourselves. I can't look at spreading this perspective as a project, but I honestly do desire for others to experience the freedom that Christ can bring.
5) As far as charity goes... my love for Christ does propel me to care for others in ways that I wouldn't in my own human sinfulness.
thoughts?
One more thought:
When we look at evangelism and charity from a transactional perspective (if you believe in Jesus you are saved, if you give something you receive favor, etc.) these questions are a lot more tricky, but if we can consider evangelism and our a faith a transformational process (as we follow Jesus we are changed from the inside out)
then our charity and evangelism are connected... as a church i believe that we are asking people to participate in what God has already created them for rather than inviting them to a conversation experience...
on your #2...
Jesus' ministry did have the effect of showing he was the Messiah to many, but it didn't do so through traditional means. It did so thru counter-intuitive means. And it did so _because_ he truly loved people in a culture that had dehumanized many. He didn't do it by just claiming it and trying to convince people.
on your #3...
Sorry, I can't relate to that kind of logic. I know that it's possible to beat something into the ground. But I think it's lazy NOT to look for and find good answers to your questions. If Christianity as we know it was more self-evident and obvious, everyone would be a follower. But it's not, and some of that has to do w/ sloppiness on our theology and eschatology (am I using that word correctly?).
On the last 2 points, I think we may be in agreement. I'm just saying that what Jesus should be changing in us is that desire to love others more than our desire to evangelize. It's a subtle but important difference.
We should also talk about the intellectual side of this sometime and how it all ties in. I think the church has been intellectually sloppy over the centuries and that has lead to less faith in religious matters.
Hey Chew,
Thanks for your thoughts. I do think we are in agreement on the idea of Jesus changing in us the desire to really love people, the subtle difference between trying to figure out evangelism.
And, on the talking things out... yes, I agree that we should ask difficult questions and it is LAZY not to think deeply about things, but I think there gets to be a point where we analyze things so much that we miss the beauty of the forest by climbing up one tree for so long... does that make sense?
we didn't get to go into the intellectual stuff that much on tuesday, but we should continue that convo more.
this is from traci's mom!! i spent so much time in my life "thinking deeply" that it parlyzed me...now.. i, "thoughtfully" jump off... knowing that MY motivations and thinking are probabaly way off base... but i am trusting in the ONE whose motiviaions and thinking are perfect!!!so i can risk it all. sincerely, traci's proud mama
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