What Then Is A Christian?
What, then, does a faithful and authentic Christian look like in the 21st Century?
I have been a little bewildered over the last few days. “What has bewildered you so, Roger?”, you may ask. Or you may not care in the least, in which case you may shortly click out of this article and find something more interesting to read. For those of you interested, I have found my self somewhat bewildered tonight about how, exactly, to live as a faithful and authentic Christian in 2010. Rest assured, this is not a ‘crisis of faith’, nor is it a crisis of identity. I am secure in my relationship with Christ and my position in the eyes of the Father, through Christ. No, I’m just wondering more about the finer print – how to live out the authentic Christian life in my context, in this time.
An array of incidents have contributed to my current state of bewilderment. For several days after the Israel/Pro-Gaza flotilla incident, I participated in a string of Facebook discussions regarding the flotilla incident, the wider Israel/Palestinian conflict, and where a Christian should position themselves in regards to this ongoing Middle East crisis. Some discussions were with Left-wing, pro-Gaza anabaptist and pacificist Christians. These are the the guys who follow the writings of John Howard Yoder, Martin Luther King, Dietrich Boenhoffer, Gandhi and Bono. Their particular take on Christian theology emphasizes non-violence, non-violent themes in the atonement, social justice, environmental justice, reconciliation and world peace. Other discussions were with more right-wing American evangelicals who were predictably pro-Israel and anti-Muslim. Both sides seemed to have a fairly reasonable set of scriptures and theological interpretations to support their particular factional flavour of Christianity.
Later that week, I watched an interesting interview by Australian journalist Andrew Denton with Ciaron O’Reilly, a Geldof-esque Catholic Christian pacifist with obligatory (and moldly-looking) dreadlocks that managed to both intrigue and repulse at the same time. See the interview here. O’Reilly’s particular interpretation of Christian theology leads him to commit recurrent acts of civil disobedience, trespass and property damage as a method of standing against what he sees as state-sanctioned violence and terror. These kind of Christian activists proudly wear their criminal convictions and physical bumps and scrapes like combat medals. They seem almost addicted to the thrill of civil disobedience and protest. I tried hard to keep an open mind while watching this interview, but couldn’t help coming to the conclusion that O’Reilly seemed to promote a form of radical left-wing extremism sanctified with a ‘Christian’ label. International Socialists or Greenpeace in Jesus sandals, you might say [See Ciaron's thoughtful and gracious response to my opinions in the Comments section].
Then tonight while flicking through the latest edition of Dispatch From Jerusalem, a publication of the Christian Zionist organisation Bridges For Peace (a remnant subscription from my past flirtations with Christian Zionism), I read an article on the Jewish and Christian interpretations of the concept of ‘Messiah’. In this article, the author (a prominent Christian Zionist) seemed more interested in acting as an apologist for modern religious Jews who reject Christ then for her fellow Christians. She did this by attempting to muddy the exegetical and hermeneutical waters of Christian and Jewish interpretations of the concept of the Messiah and by almost making excuses for why modern orthodox Jews continue to reject Jesus as the true Messiah. The author takes this position, no doubt, because of her particular dispensational interpretation of Christian theology and the prophetic role of modern-day Israel that motivates her to support Israel, no matter what. Genesis 12:2-3 is a particular favourite of the Christian Zionist movement:
I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
So for the Chrisitian Zionist, to unflinchingly support the modern State of Israel, no matter what is does and how it acts, is a ticket to personal blessing. To not support Israel, by these verses, is to invite God’s curse.
The last straw tonight was when, soon after putting down this article in frustration, and while flicking through Foxtel cable TV, I happened on the one and only Christian TV station in Australia. Rarely do I find anything of substance shown on this channel, and tonight I wasn’t disappointed. I sat for the next five or so minutes watching another Hillsong cookie-cutter church worship team (I gather from New Zealand) playing a very funky and catchy P & W song, complete with the professional musicians and beautifully groomed worship singers. A perfectly Christianized reproduction (counterfeit maybe?) of a secular R & B song, just with Christianized lyrics. Yet another interpretation of Christian theology and style, I mused.
This left me in my present bewildered and overwhelmed state. It forced me to hit the showers, warm water streaming on my face, asking God quite honestly, “If I feel strongly that all of these particular styles and interpretations of Christianity in the 21st Century all somehow miss the mark – what, then, does a faithful and authentic Christian look like in 2010?”. What indeed.
Here’s some of the options, as I see it:
1. The anabaptist, extreme left-wing, Christian pacifist who idolises John Howard Yoder, Dr King, Boenhoffer, Gandhi and Bono, and thinks that the Christian life should prioritize social justice, eco justice, radical non-violence, reconciliation, Marxist political and economic theory, and civil disobedience against duly elected governments who they see as promoting state-sponsored terrorism and violence.
2. The ‘Young, Restless and Reformed’ neo-Calvinist crowd who idolise long-dead Reformers and Puritans, often wearing T-shirts with slogans such as ‘Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy’. These are the ones who have made modern Calvinist preachers like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Tim Keller, Albert Mohler and their ilk into nothing short of homiletic rock-stars, and somehow think that teachings like double predestination and particular redemption are theological concepts worth advertising proudly.
3. The faithful Christian Zionist who, like the dutiful and starry-eyed ‘little brother’ to modern day Judaism, thinks that Genesis 3 and other scriptures compels them to politely applaud if the modern State of Israel so much as passes wind in their general direction. Never mind if secular Israel seems to see Christian Zionists as nothing more than convenient and wealthy benefactors, potentially loaded and emotional-spending tourists, and a direct line to Western politicians. No, for these Christians, Israel has a prophetic eschatological role and must be supported no matter what. These Zionists are the ones that seem more motivated to make apologetic excuses for modern-day orthodox Jews who stubbornly deny Jesus as the Messiah already come.
4. The snipped, clipped and plucked middle/upper class young (or not-so-young-anymore) suburban Pentecostal who wants to be the next Darlene Zschech or other Hillsong-esque megachurch worship leader, who dutifully tithes a minimum of ten per cent, believing confidently in those (mainly Old Testament) verses that promise a rich harvest of health, wealth, prosperity and worldly acclaim, ten times or more what they sow into this, that or other schmick television ministry.
This is only a few ways to be a Christian in 2010. What I find bewildering is the staggering array of intepretations of the authentic Christian life. The almost endless interpretive factions of Christian theology and praxis.
How, then, shall I live as a faithful and authentic Christian in 2010? How indeed!
Rob Burke
on June 10th, 2010
How about a normal vanilla flavored lutheran, mockingbird blog, Rod Rosenbladt , give me the sacraments 7 days a week style Christian?
rogermorris
on June 10th, 2010
There you go. Yet another way to be a Christian in 2010. No wonder I’m confused.
George Rollins
on June 10th, 2010
How about the Christian. You know, the one who studies the bible, shares his witness with meekness and fear. I call him/her a Christian. Its easy, the bible tells us how. I follow Jesus’ Teachings, What did Jesus DO, not what would Jesus do. Open eyes of my heart letting the Holy Spirit lead me where he wills. No Label, other than “Christian”
Bless you Roger!. I did like your article by the way, thank you!
-George
Mia Thomas
on June 10th, 2010
On some levels I share your bewilderment with the options, and sometimes I have wrestled with the options and been unhappy with the choices put before me. For me and only me I think how can I be authentic today, pray that too, in my very small world what can I do today. This sounded better in my head. Wreslting with the stuff I don’t want to be, hopefully will make me more determined to be the real deal. My head hurts from way too much thinking. I’m out>
Ciaron O'Reilly
on June 10th, 2010
“Moldy dreadlocks” I’ll let sl;ide…but “Geldofesque” puhleeeeeze, they won’t be offering this punk a British knighthood (or” new boots and contracts” The Clash) any time soon.
Yes we are radical (Latin for “returning to the roots) Christians…a discipleship which has an implicit anarchist oreintation to worldly powers and kingdoms and a pacifist orientation towards violence. So no we wouldn’t make the cut at Greenpeace or the International Socialists. The terms left and right wing are pretty useless…they describe the seating arrangements at the first French parliament, little else these daze!
I had a number of good Christian and other friends on the flotilla to Gaza. They were following the madate of Christ to practise the acts of mercy in “bringing food to the hungry, medical supplies to the sick and building materials to the homeless” of Gaza. They were met with lthe lethal force of the Israeli state carring the weapons provded by the U.S. They were bashed on the ship, in prison and at the airport awaiting deportation from a country they had no intention of entering. They had been kidnapped in internatiomnal waters had forced in to Israel.
By the by, in ’06 we were acquited unanimously by a Dublin jury on the charges of $2 1/2 million criminal damage to the U.S. war plane at Shannon Airport (Ireland) en route to the ’03 invasion of Iraq. An invasion the U.N. described as illegal, the pope as immoral and that has wasted over 4,000 young U.S. lives and 1 million Iraqi lives (Lancett Report).
Pax Christi
Ciaron O’Reilly
Dublin, Ireland
rogermorris
on June 11th, 2010
Hi Ciaron,
Thanks for your reply and your interest in the article. I happily repent of my satire regarding the dreads and the Geldoff-esque comment.
. I trust you can see that the satire of my article underscores my honest attempt to navigate a way through the apparent maze of intepretations of Christian belief and practice.
Thank you for your good natured response and your clear Christian committment and humility.
Ask Jarrod Saul McKenna sometime about my sledge-hammer opinions on some of these matters. However, my intentions are noble.
Jarrod S. McK
on June 11th, 2010
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
-1 John 2:6
David Willier
on June 14th, 2010
You left out the billion plus views of “How Now shall we then live” ideologies found in the Latin Rite of the RCC…lol.
But seriously, You lean in with the Reformed tradition and I assume you know your history well enough to survey the Christian Life landscape of the past millennia…
How have Christians viewed their carrying out the ‘chief end of man’ since the Good news was preached to those far off? Progress with me in thought from the times of the early Church fathers, such muddy doctrine, lack of cohesive authority (even the cannon was not very solidified.) The persecutions defined and shaped so much of Christian life in that day, and the insane number of sects make today’s Christianity look like one big happy family!
-Then the rise of the “church” institutionally, seated among the political and cultural elite changed the Christian view to one of conquering not just people’s hearts and minds, but their wallets and ethnic allegiances as well; with entire nations being “baptized” into the “church.” Then came the quite dark ages, overarched with superstition, ignorance and avarice were veritable virtues and the people espoused dark views of the faith indeed… Yes, the brighter lights shone out, but quite dimly (for how many angels can actually dance on the head of a pin?) Then the resurgence of interest in reading God breathed scripture ushered in a revival no less than Josiah’s, bringing about not so much a recapturing of the early Church, but bringing to Christianity a maturation from infancy to adolescence. In these times we see such luminaries as the reformers, changing the view of what it means to actually “be” a Christian, and how we should thusly live.
-On and on the wheels of the kingdom turned, bringing Continental (Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, etc.) and then English/American Christianity to spread the Good News across the globe, affecting every tribe and tongue with such “new” ideas: of a human deity, of humanity’s creator sacrificing Himself for our good and His own glory! That we have seen many splinters of this branch occur in the last 150 years is no different than any other feature of greater numbers of population! -The over 2 Billion Christians will no doubt see and respond to the Gospel in a myriad of different ways. I am thankful to Christ that not all Christians see as I see, for we are indeed separate and distinct members, though One body. I am thankful for both the Pentacostal Charismatic that is transforming Africa, as much as the Presbyterian Reformed that is answering the questions being asked by postmodern existentialism.
-Just how many books have been titled “How Now Shall We Live?” Sure, there is one path to God, through Jesus Christ alone… But it is in the here and now we see darkly.
Work out your faith with fear and trembling. Sure there are right and wrong ways to do most anything, especially in the worship of the One God of all that is, and in living out “The Way”; but are we, each and every one of us, in humility, working out our faith in fear of the Lord, in humility like Christ, and in honor to the King of Kings?
David Willier
on June 14th, 2010
part 2… I remember in my youth hearing the American fundamentalist preacher espouse “No creed but the Bible alone” (which of course is a creed, nevertheless…) every place I turned I heard from Christians with very different perspectives (Anabaptist Mennonites, Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, Conservative Presbyterians, Charismatics of different shades, and so many others) that the reason they believed and lived as they did was that they just “simply followed the Bible!” Wow, such different lifestyles all claiming the same Handbook! To make matters even more complicated for my youth I then learned that some Christians even have different versions of the Canon and even that some Christians hold to authority on how to interpret Christian faith and practice outside of the Bible (the Latin Rite of the RCC’s 2 other pillars, the Orthodox Ecumenical Councils and the writings of the Early Church Fathers, etc. etc.)
What a complex set of historical circumstances! How was a kid supposed to understand authentic Christianity when everyone claimed authenticity? If we literally do what Christ did, we look like the Philippino RC’s who crucify themselves, or the Pentacostals who heal people on stages? What does authentic Christianity look like?
1) AUTHORITY. By what “authority” we think and act is tantamount to answer the most basic questions. Before we can see what Christianity is supposed to look like, we need to answer the question “Where do we find our authority?” And the answer to that question leads our view of what authenticity will look like.
2) INTERPRETATION. If we, being self-governing (even if no neutrality exists) have chosen our authority, then how we interpret our authority guides us in our understanding on how to be authentic to that authority… If my authority is scripture, how I let myself interpret scripture paints the picture of how I will practice what I believe to be the clearest picture of what my authority deems authentic. For example, If I thought authority rested in scripture, then shouldn’t I then learn all I can to know as much as possible about what scripture states, apart from the nuances of my modern conjectures and biases? Do I study the earliest texts? Do I learn the ancient languages? Do I consult the wisest minds I can find on the topics? Of course a resounding yes to all these! Although no neutrality exists, we still try and be sober in our judgments.
3) THE GREAT CONVERSATION. We people tend to excel when we can disseminate and share ideas together. Exposing our ideas and utilizing one another as sounding boards help to steer our perceptions of how well we are aligned to our mutual authorities… (If I find that I am the only one who holds to a set of beliefs out of millions of voices, it may be wise to double-check my underlying assumptions and perceptions!) Even the question of wondering what authentic Christianity looks like in 2010 begs the question of a corporate body. What “we” should look like incorporates what “I” should look like as a Christian in 2010.
*As Scripture is my chosen authority, (and although I may say by the Spirit of God alone, but others may say I myself chose it, regardless… I digress) If I want to align to what scripture teaches I should look like, I need to know scripture well enough to answer that, otherwise, I myself will be a splintered heart, a boat tossed by every whim of fancy doctrine…) When ppl read scripture, the majors never seem to be in dispute (Love even your enemies, do good to all, to those who hurt you and especially to those of the family of Faith. Love our Master God with every bit of our hearts and minds and souls and with all of our strength…) We are to be like Peter and Paul in defending the Faith we have in Jesus, like Stephen in sacrifice, like the Good Samaritan giving of ourselves, like Paul becoming all things to all men that some might believe, etc.) And when we brethren disagree in practice of faith, we cover over all with love, disagreeing but uniting in peace for the sake of this dying world.
Short answer then:
What does Christianity look like in 2010? Well, what does the Bible look like in 2010, and there’s your short answer. Does the bible say we are to act different during different eras in Christianity? I don’t think so… I think of when the people asked John the Baptist how should they then live?
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