It happens
far too often. We hear stories like the one my non-Christian friend shared with
me last week where someone she knows was turned away from a local church and
asked to leave the property because it "looked bad" that she was crying in front
of their building.
Of course, the woman’s daughter was missing, she was close
to losing her apartment due to HUD restrictions limiting her ability to care
for her grand daughter, and she needed help with food and clothes for this little one. Luckily, this elderly
woman, with her grandchild in tow, ended up down the street at a secular
organization which fed her grand child, referred her to a food bank, and even
put some cash in her hand while the volunteers behind the counter scrambled to
find clothing for the little girl and a dedicated social worker to
help her with housing needs.
What’s
wrong with this picture? How could the woman with the hungry grandchild be
turned away by the people who profess to follow someone who said “Whatever
you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done it to me”, and receive help from
those who do not?
It’s
almost a modern day Good Samaritan story, isn’t it? Except that it’s not a
story. It’s real.
So, how is
it that Christians can be so insensitive and mean? What’s going on here?
In this
short series of articles to follow, I hope to shed some light on this troubling
phenomenon.
Honestly,
I believe there are a variety of reasons for this aberrant behavior, the first
one being that Christians in America define themselves by the things they
believe, not by their attitudes or behaviors.
Reason #1
– Christians in America are defined by doctrines.
This idea
goes all the way back to the third century when Emperor Constantine was allowed
to define what it meant to be a Christian. Before this, the Christian church
(as evidenced by the New Testament writings and early church practice) defined
Christianity as a way of living that mirrored the life of Jesus. This is why
Paul the Apostle was so adamant that the early Christians not associate with
those who called themselves Christians but refused to actually obey His
teachings.
“But now I
am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a
brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer,
a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” (1
Cor. 5:11)
Ironically,
in this same passage, Paul makes a point that he’s not talking about
non-believers who behave this way. Not at all:
“…not at
all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and
swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1
Cor. 5:10)
Somehow
Christians in America have gotten this backwards. They refuse to associate with
“worldly” people who don’t act Christian, but have a very high tolerance for
people within the Church who don’t act like Jesus.
But it’s
not our tolerance for this behavior that has led us to this unsettling
situation. It’s our definition of who a Christian really is.
When
Constantine showed up and helped to end the persecution of Christians with the
edict of Milan in 313, many (but not all) Christians hailed him as a hero, and
even welcomed his influence in the affairs of the church. Possibly this was
because Constantine granted their leaders tax exemptions and put many of them
on the Roman payroll, perhaps?
At any
rate, Constantine did what no Emperor had ever done before – he influenced the
church to codify a statement of orthodoxy – a set of core beliefs – that
defined what “true” Christianity was all about.
Before this the early church
disagreed on a number of doctrinal points, and even freely dis-fellowshipped
themselves from those who taught heresy (as they defined it). But, until
Constantine officially declared what made Christians “Christian” the only
criteria was a simple faith in Christ and a sincere desire to put His teachings
into practice. Granted, some might disagree with you on a few points of
doctrine, but they wouldn’t have killed you for it. We have Constantine to
thank for that eventual practice.
Fast
forward a few hundred years and nothing much has changed. Pastors and churches
are still exempt from taxes, they are still useful to propagate the policies of
the Empire, and Christianity is still defined as an agreement with a set of
core doctrines.
This is
why you can now call yourself a Christian and disobey Christ’s command to care
for the orphan and the widow. Because if you have agreed with the Statement of
Faith (the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the Resurrection,
etc.) then you are absolutely a Christian, and your actions are not taken into
account.
Of course,
this is in direct contradiction to Jesus’ words that:
“they will know that you
are my disciples (followers) if you love one another” (John 13:35)
and
“Whoever
has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21)
and
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we
will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will
not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23-24).
So,
basically, as long as you take a new believer’s class or agree with a detailed
“Statement of Faith” you’ll be considered a Christian by almost every Church in
America today. In spite of the fact that you may not follow Jesus, obey Jesus,
or have any intention of learning what Jesus commanded His followers to do.
For the
record, if you can turn away someone in need who comes to you begging for help,
you might not be a Christian. Or, as the Apostle John asks,
“If anyone has
material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on
them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)
Christians
in America desperately need to redefine themselves as people who are doing
their best to put the words of Jesus into action. Otherwise, we’ll be left with
a Church that looks and acts nothing like Jesus.
-kg
[END PART
ONE]
