The Hard Part is Acting Like Jesus

Today was one of those weird Florida days that started out a little cool and cloudy and ended up warm and sunny. This weather probably will not last long, but it is nice that we get some respite from the cold, well, Florida's version of cold anyway.

I took my lunch break and went for a 3-mile run. I am really getting into the swing of this running thing. Then I went to get a little lunch and drop off a jacket (the one from the movies) at the dry cleaners. It just so happened that I passed by one of the biggest churches in town that is in the middle of this huge building project. It is a conservative, evangelical fellowship. They must be doing something right, because they continue to grow and expand their ministries. People are excited to be there and invite their friends. It is great.

Recently, I was watching this church on television and their pastor was talking about the presidential race. Funny, he made pretty certain who he was not voting for without even saying her name. But his most intriguing point was that at least one of the candidates was a postmodernist. He said it with such disdain. And then he went on to explain that a postmodernist is someone who does not believe in any absolutes, that whatever you believe is fine for you. He may have been talking about the presidential candidates, but his subtext was pretty clear: That emergent church you may have been hearing about is just the same--postmodernist mumbo-jumbo from people pretending to be Christians, but they don't stand for anything. I was a little offended, especially since I think most younger people in the world are "postmodernists" and how can we reach people if we close the curtain and pretend that it is okay to leave them alone. As long as they leave us alone, we can pretend to be the church and just send them on to hell where they belong.

I have come to the realization that many evangelicals are okay with certain groups going to hell, you know homosexuals, abortion doctors, Mormons, Muslims, etc. "They are going to hell because of the decisions they have made." Forget the fact that many of them may be going there because of one of us and how we showed the love of Jesus to them (enter picketers: "God hates fags" etc.). It is much easier for us to allow them to go to hell than it is for us to worry about them. Why, when we have more important things to worry about like the color of the carpet in the sanctuary or whether or not we use regular or decaf in the church lounge.

I also believe that there are many evangelicals who like being told they are going to hell, or at least warned about it at every possible opportunity. I think in some ways, this is why many evangelical churches are thriving today. We live in a world of uncertainty, some of which is truly uncertain and some of it is merely fearmongering. Uncertainty helps us to find religion, but all too often it is fear of the unknown that pushes us over the edge. I lived for most of my life in fear of the rapture or that I would somehow unknowingly sin, and damn my soul to eternal hell. I even worked on my weeping and gnashing of teeth. I am pretty good at it and have a side of guilt to spare even today.

Back to my hypothesis that evangelicals like being told about hell a lot: Evangelicals tend to be very anti-Catholic, but they do many things that I would consider Catholic. For instance, fundies think that confession to a priest is evil, because only God can forgive sins (forget that verse in John 20 where Jesus gave the disciples the power to forgive sins). The worst part according to the evangelical mindset is the belief that Catholics can do some "Hail Mary's" and be forgiven, but usually the sinner returns to his sins next week because he can always go to confession and be okay. But consider that in many churches there is an altar call each service for confession and repentance--all good things. But has it ever occurred to anyone that we often like to be reminded of just how sinful we are, then be given the opportunity to confess and repent, and then go about our merry way with never a thought to true discipline and change?

I think most of this goes back to fearmongering or the escapist mentality that many churches teach. I am sorry, and part of me wishes these were true, but these worries get us so far off the path that Jesus laid out for us that I am afraid soon we may not be able to even find the path. Time and time again we spend more of our time worrying about things Jesus never mentioned even one time (homosexuality or whatever) rather than spending any time on the things he mentioned over and over again (poverty, bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition).

It is easy to call ourselves Christians when we think have our theology right and are living lives untouched by the world. The hard part is acting like Jesus.