I recently had an experience that brings the disputes amongst Christians into a very sharp focus. I had joined a discussion group for Confessing Christians and joined a conversation on what is the biggest issue facing the American church. Topics such as these should be happening on a daily basis in order to help us see what is in front of us everyday. The argument was limited to four choices that were seen as the big ones. All of them focused on doctrinal issues, the use of creeds of confessional statements, or focusing on the Bible as the sole authority in of ecclesiology. I, however, disagreed with all of them and made an argument that the biggest issue facing the church is a lack of humility from church people.
I believe we spend to much time preaching AT people rather than living WITH them. I tried to temper my statements with the idea that we are fallible human beings who need to remember that we serve an infinite God. In essence, "Now, we see in part and we know in part, but then we will know, as we are fully known." This isn't an argument against anything in particular or for anything in particular.
The responses however were not as equitable. I was told that I should read my Bible more, and then given a list of verses to support a specific argument. I tried to politely respond with Scriptures of my own and then added that I wanted to avoid throwing the Bible at each other in a hope to achieve an "I Gotcha" moment. I was then told that that was the real problem. Because I wanted to avoid using the Bible because I didn't want to misuse it, I am then endorsing putting away all Scriptural authority. I got really upset and had to remove myself from the group because I didn't want to say something hateful.
It's this black-and-white mindset that I really want to discuss. Have we become so fragmented as a body of Christ that we cant think outside of our little communities. Now, before we start saying that this is the problem with conservatives and then spout invective at them, we need to see that this goes both ways. It's too easy to tear down and walk away from an argument, but to rebuild is even more difficult. I shouldn't have walked away, as I look back. It doesn't mean that I'm right and they are wrong, but how do we make peace if we are always walking away from these discussion? Things will only get worse, and never get better if we continue to build walls between each other. We say that from both sides.
I'm not a conservative Christian, I know that is a real shock, but we progressives, liberals, moderates, whatever we want to call ourselves are just as guilty of erecting barriers. We can just as unforgiving in the way we say the world works, and accepting no alternatives. If we want to forgive and accept people, then we need to forgive and accept those who do not do that for us. Jesus is supposed to be our example, and that means we have to go to them.
This brings me back to the title of the post. What are we doing? Are we actually building things and making peace, or are we retreating into our labels and hiding from others? We have to tackle this issue seriously and with compassion. The greatest issue I see facing the church is that we are too busy pushing people away, and these are the people who are, in essence, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to do something to build bridges and bring healing to our body. It's suffering.
I believe we spend to much time preaching AT people rather than living WITH them. I tried to temper my statements with the idea that we are fallible human beings who need to remember that we serve an infinite God. In essence, "Now, we see in part and we know in part, but then we will know, as we are fully known." This isn't an argument against anything in particular or for anything in particular.
The responses however were not as equitable. I was told that I should read my Bible more, and then given a list of verses to support a specific argument. I tried to politely respond with Scriptures of my own and then added that I wanted to avoid throwing the Bible at each other in a hope to achieve an "I Gotcha" moment. I was then told that that was the real problem. Because I wanted to avoid using the Bible because I didn't want to misuse it, I am then endorsing putting away all Scriptural authority. I got really upset and had to remove myself from the group because I didn't want to say something hateful.
It's this black-and-white mindset that I really want to discuss. Have we become so fragmented as a body of Christ that we cant think outside of our little communities. Now, before we start saying that this is the problem with conservatives and then spout invective at them, we need to see that this goes both ways. It's too easy to tear down and walk away from an argument, but to rebuild is even more difficult. I shouldn't have walked away, as I look back. It doesn't mean that I'm right and they are wrong, but how do we make peace if we are always walking away from these discussion? Things will only get worse, and never get better if we continue to build walls between each other. We say that from both sides.
I'm not a conservative Christian, I know that is a real shock, but we progressives, liberals, moderates, whatever we want to call ourselves are just as guilty of erecting barriers. We can just as unforgiving in the way we say the world works, and accepting no alternatives. If we want to forgive and accept people, then we need to forgive and accept those who do not do that for us. Jesus is supposed to be our example, and that means we have to go to them.
This brings me back to the title of the post. What are we doing? Are we actually building things and making peace, or are we retreating into our labels and hiding from others? We have to tackle this issue seriously and with compassion. The greatest issue I see facing the church is that we are too busy pushing people away, and these are the people who are, in essence, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to do something to build bridges and bring healing to our body. It's suffering.
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