In one section of Following Jesus
Option One consists of imperialistic dreams. It means matching power with power, using revolt and crusade. Wright says that this is “like firemen who had become arsonists.”
Option Two consists of passive noninvolvement. Just retreat. Wander away, protecting ourselves and letting the world destroy itself.
But Jesus (in Mark) forges a third way: in the dangerous arena of the world, he is a suffering servant. He takes on the evil of the world without bringing more violence.
“What would it take for the Church in England to embrace this vision of following Jesus? I long to see Christians in this country standing up to the government on the issues of education, of the arms industry, of Third World debt. I long to see the Church standing up to the radical opposition parties on issues like abortion. I long to see the Church lovingly but firmly confronting the media barons who destroy people’s lives and reputations for the sake of a sensational story. But it must be done in the right way. We live in a world of Jameses and Johns, of projected guilt and fear and anger. There’s no point in the Church simply keeping all of that in circulation. We don’t need any more Jameses and Johns, Christians who project their own insecurities out on to the world and call it preaching the gospel. We need — and it’s a scary thought — Christians who will do for the world what Jesus was doing.
“The Church must be prepared to stand between the warring factions, and, like a boxing referee, risk being knocked out by both simultaneously. The Church must be prepared to act symbolically, like Jesus, to show that there is a different way of living. The Church must be prepared to be the agent of healing even for those, like AIDS victims, who are the lepers of modern society. Taking up the cross is not a merely passive operation. It comes about as the Church attempts, in the power of the Spirit, to be for the world what Jesus was for the world — announcing the kingdom, healing the wounds of the world, challenging the power structures that keep anger and pain in circulation. We need to pray that we will have the courage, as a Church and as Christian persons, to follow the Servant King wherever he leads. That, after all, is why we come to his table. WE have seen in our century what happens when people dream wild dreams of world domination, and use the normal methods of force and power to implement them. We have not yet seen what might happen if those who worship the Servant King, now enthroned as Lord of the world, were to take him seriously enough to take up our cross and follow him. But that, as Mark reminds us, is precisely what the Servant King calls us to do.”
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Here’s my piece on unity in the current issue of Lookout, a journal of the Christian Church.
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A wonderful new ministry has been launched by a Highland couple, seeking to support a children’s home in India. You can read about it at this website.
May His church be suffering servants that make a difference in the world by being what He wants us to be: a church that does offer hope, healing, forgiveness, grace, love, eternal life to the world. We must understand that faith is active, not passive. As Christians and His chruch we need to remembe that is no longer I but Christ. It is all about doing His will and makng a difference in the world by offering grace to others. As Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”
Even with a 7 hour time difference, I couldn’t manage to be the first to comment. I am in Belgium this week on business.
While we don’t have the languages, your family story makes me think of my wife’s family…..a great aunt who was a minister in the Disciples church for many years, an uncle who late in life went back to school at Johnson Bible College and is now an Associate Minister at a large Christian Church here in Illinois. An then there is the wanna-be-preacher that took their niece down to Harding and exposed her to that CofC crowd! (Believe me….there have been times when she has wondered what on earth I got her into!!) I love this family and the “common” heritage that we share. I can’t imagine my life without them and their incredibly loving niece.
I had the wonderful experience of baptizing our daughter last week (Father’s Day!) in the pool at the church camp that I grew up attending. I mentioned to her and her camp friends that she was following in the footsteps of a long legacy of Christ-followers on both sides of her family. Who knows what our legacy will look like when I get to witness her children being baptized.
Well done Mike.
Is it of primary importance what the name is on the outside of a church building - or is it the name that is declared inside that building?
Praise be for the efforts you and others exert to heal a century old wound. God’s blessings be yours as you continue reaching out to others toward reconcilliation.
I ache for the day all demoninational identifiers are removed from our church buildings, that only the name of the One we follow is declared!!
Good stuff, Mike. In the world, but not of the world because, like Christ, we are for the world. Hard to do. “Help us, Lord.”
“The Church must be prepared to stand between the warring factions, and, like a boxing referee, risk being knocked out by both simultaneously.”
That would mean that some of us would have to take our gloves off. And others would have to get into the ring.
Blessed are the peace-builders, for they will be labeled God’s kids.
Maybe if we understood we were brothers and sisters and how much Dad wants us to act like family…
Good stuff BroCo.
I think that the story of Campbell and Stone is one that needs a deeper exploration. All of my life I have heard the term “Stone-Campbell” movement, but I doubt if people really have a good understanding of just how different they were. You might take some time and let everyone know just how different these men were and how they were able to put their differences aside and be united in Christ.
It has always been amazing to me that something that started out as a movement to unite believers in Jesus and rid itself of the man made rules that encumbered it would end up in such a fragmented mess.
“The disciples of the discoverer become enemies of discovery” – I tried to Google that quote but did not turn up a thing. I think it aptly describes us. We reached a point where we began to codify our discoveries. Then we made unwritten rules around the unwritten codes that we established.
We beheld the enemy and he is us.
N.T. Wright does it again. Completely messes up my Steve-o-centric universe. (…or was that Jesus?) At any rate, Wright’s words help me immensely with my internal struggle about how Christians relate to the world, specifically politics.
Great post Mike. Following Jesus has really made me rethink who it is I am called to be. Also, I enjoyed your article in Lookout. This Sunday marks my first Sunday preaching for a christian church, coming from an acapella church of Christ. I am so excited about the change and see it as my God given responsibility to seek unity from both sides of the keyboard. Thanks Mike.
“Freedom at Midnight” by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
Great historical book for anyone interested in India. The “Christian” colonies of Europe really missed a great opprotunity with their imperialistic dreams.
‘Mahatma’ Gandhi is the prophet who really grasped the image of Jesus
for option number three.
On the theme of suffering servant, I recommend to you “Superman Returns.” Maybe I’m just a preacher looking for an illustration, but the new Superman movie has a number of “Savior” references. Judge for yourself. The movie is quite good in my opinion with the usual evil vs. good theme.
Here’s an article on the topic and you can check my blog for my take.
http://tinyurl.com/nhdk8
Peace.
Mike,
“I long to see the Church standing up to the radical opposition parties on issues like abortion.”
What does this mean in his context?
He wants the church to be what Ron Sider called consistently pro-life. Not just pro-life on one or two issues that fan the flames of voters; but completely, thoroughly pro-life.