Warning: I’m feeling a little feisty. This may ruffle some feathers.
Let me begin by stating that I am a Christian. By that I mean that I follow the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. However, I wish I could outlaw the term, “Christian.” By this, I mean the adjective. Why do we, as Christians, have to create competitive sub-cultures, institutions and industries–Christian music, Christian movies, Christian bookstores, etc? I don’t see how these help the movement of Jesus.
In my opinion, here’s why Christian subcultures and competitive industries don’t work:
1. They make us look inept.
When’s the last time you saw a “Christian” movie that was competitive with something Hollywood produced after 1972? I have an acronym for you: CCM. I rest my case. Our “Christian” industries are a collective “face-palm.” Our shoddy art places Jesus in a laughable and irrelevant light with society. This is not OK.
2. They set us up for failure.
How many news headlines over the last few years have been of “Christian” leaders making terrible decisions–illegal and immoral? So often, the strategy of Christians seems to be: “We’re better than you, therefore, let us set up a more holy insert blank.” The problem is that Christians are NOT better than the rest of culture. We are often NOT more holy. We are simply people who embrace the love and grace of Jesus and seek to follow Him. This superiority complex has to go because every time one of us makes a terrible decision we damage our credibility. Yes, we need to strive for holiness but I believe we ought to stop placing ourselves on public pedestals.
3. They set us up for conflict
Why is everything a battleground? We seem to be obsessed with battling over the morality and culture of the United States, thinking that somehow it is THE kingdom, when in fact, it is A kingdom. We have this nasty propensity to set up opposing institutions and industries in order to battle the “sinful” institutions and industries. By embracing this strategy, we’re teaching the next generations that being a Christian is about fighting the bad guys. We tried that once. It was called the Crusades and it sucked for everyone.
4. They make us irrelevant
Jesus was absolutely compelling. The worst of people were magnetically drawn to Him (and He to them). Our Christian cultural bubbles are the farthest thing from compelling. In fact, these cultural bubbles disengage us from society and culture. Our teaching and conversations become irrelevant to the people and communities around us. Our language doesn’t even make sense to the people Jesus wants to engage.
So what’s the answer? Jesus called His followers to be “in the world but not of the world.” In other words, the answer is to engage culture instead of creating subcultures. Instead of fighting, we ought to focus on loving, serving and sharing Jesus. What did the early Christians do? They rescued and raised abandoned babies. They stayed in plague-ridden cities and cared for the dying. They engaged false philosophies smartly and relevantly. They contextually shared the Gospel with the people they loved, which was everyone. Within the Church, they loved and served each other so powerfully that outsiders were dumbfounded and longed to join their communities. The early Christians built credibility through the way they engaged and treated others.
Jesus gave His disciples a commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Instead of creating enclaves of finger wagging disapproval and judgment, let’s love each other profoundly and tangibly and let’s engage culture by serving our “enemies.” No more, “Us against them.”
And, as safe as it may make us feel, isolating ourselves in “Christian” bubbles with Christian movies, music, t-shirts, stores, books and TV isn’t remotely close to the Kingdom living that Jesus described and the disciples lived out. Let’s return to what has made the Church irresistible throughout history–smartly engaging culture, loving and serving people, and boldly sharing Jesus.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this…even if I made you angry.
bubble imaged credited to Pascal Maramis via Flickr
