Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Jesus Is...



JESUS IS… FOR LEASE”   

I had to laugh when I first read this huge sign on the roof of a building, but then I had to give it some more thought… and it was sobering.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:3-6)

There comes a time in the history of every movement that it gains enough momentum that it becomes “fashionable” to be seen as a part of it. When Christianity becomes culturally acceptable the foundations of it may start to be undermined in the hearts of those following it as well as those leading. Every movement that is based on trust and volunteerism, is liable to suffer the ignominy of being hi-jacked or politicised for ones own ends, to profit oneself in the name of the cause is not just the temptation of those who hold the responsibility of leadership but is also the tendency of those who seek the comfort of being “in Christ” without the incumbent need to be the “living sacrifice”. There becomes a mutual and unspoken complicity in maintaining the peace. This mutual “back scratching” becomes the unwritten contract, our memorandum of understanding. Essentially the wording is: “We will continue to support your leadership so long as your demands do not involve a loss of comfort, so long as we are not too offended or the demands too great”. 


 We all, like water unchecked, seek the lowest level. So long as we believe we are “in” we are happy and can stand all manner of preachy sermons to “equip” us. Just as politicians' loyalties are divided- so too for Christian leaders. The politician wants to do right by his country (if they have any patriotism in them anyway), but finds that he must try and please the voters. His constituents want more money, less tax and more time off, but the country is in debt and needs to pay its way. What happens? The politician fears the voter will veto him in the next election so he does not what is right, but what is expedient, and the country goes deeper in debt. When a persons livelihood is dependent on those who voluntarily agree to listen to him it is easy to envision the conflict of interest and divided loyalty that results in forgoing the "full gospel". This may go on for years and never be brought to anyone’s conscious attention. Many congregations not only survive on this understanding but flourish, perhaps numbers grow exponentially, and perhaps the only one that has ever left... is the Holy Spirit.  

It was a well-known quip of one of our politicians that “we mustn’t frighten the horses”. What was important here was not whether truth was made manifest but that those who were the basis of power (as all voters are in a democracy) were not put off by the leader. Principle is sacrificed for power, maintenance of the status quo is deemed more important than honesty, more important than risking ones position for the challenge of integrity. Keep the masses interested, comfortable and happy is the goal not just of politicians but I fear also sometimes of those whose charge and responsibility is the preaching of the “good news”. Of course it is also the special interest of the congregant! The “Gospel of Peace” was never intended to mean the gospel of slumber and complacency. Luther is credited to have wisely said it is the preacher’s job to “comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable”