The Church of Jesus Christ has some problems - one of them being that its face to the world is fallible, sinful people - like me. Mark Galli at Christianity Today writes about a recent conversation and some new research:
.... The conversation was with a 20-something Christian who told me a few anecdotes about other 20-something Christians who refuse to identify themselves with the word Christian. They feel it comes with too much baggage and only makes their non-Christian friends think of stuffy churches, televangelists, the Crusades, and witch trials.Christianity Today: Grace - That's So Sick
The book was Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity (Baker, October 2007) by David Kinnaman. The book's opening line is "Christianity has an image problem," and it proceeds to describe the many problems secular "busters and mosaics" (also known as generations X and Y) have with the faith. Though the book is grounded on statistical research, the list of complaints will not surprise anyone who reads the newspaper or has attended church recently: The church is proselytistic, anti-homosexual, sheltered, politicized, and judgmental.
Unchristian's motive is praiseworthy—the author implores us to take these generations' critiques seriously as we try to call them to follow Jesus. And the book's central assumption seems reasonable enough: If we could just get Christians to act like Christians, more people would be attracted to Jesus.
But the problem with the book, and with those who eschew the Christian label, is that they fail to take the sinfulness of the church seriously enough. They also fail to recognize how far the scandal of the Cross reaches. Simply put, Jesus not only died for but also chooses to associate with sheltered, judgmental, proselytizing hypocrites who have put their faith in him. In fact, he's willing to let them muck up his "brand," willing to let each collection of potential televangelists and crusaders be known as a "church of Jesus Christ."
Part of the scandal of the Cross is the scandal of grace. And part of the scandal of grace is that I am part and parcel of the company of the graced.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good point. I'd like to add two remarks if I might.
"Scandal of Grace" as a term is interesting. The term scandal was linked by St. Paul with folly. Would that make "Scandal of Grace and the Folly of Faith"? Or might folly fit with the 20-somethings in a different way than "of faith"?
And it is perhaps our sin (the sins of the faithful) that the scandal (and folly?) is seen not as belief in Jesus as God and Saviour but instead that, "The church is proselytistic, anti-homosexual, sheltered, politicized, and judgmental. "
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI found this rather humbling:
Part of the scandal of the Cross is the scandal of grace. And part of the scandal of grace is that I am part and parcel of the company of the graced.
I think we have particular difficulty conveying love for the sinner while still maintaining a clear view of sin. Hatred for the sin comes through more clearly than love for the person. Or, alternatively, the sin and sinner stuff gets forgotten altogether.