It has been said that too many Americans have been innoculated with a slight case of Christianity that is preventing them from getting the real thing. Perhaps this has something to do with how much of God people really want. Here is a quote from Wilbur Rees to make you think:
"I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please - not enough to
explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of
warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make
me love a foreigner or pick beets with a migrant worker. I want ecstasy,
not transformation; I want the warmth of a womb, not a new birth. I want
a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I'd like to buy $3 worth of God,
please."
I especially like the line 'I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth'. This, I am afraid, is exactly what people want out of their worship and church experiences. Not something that demands them to pick up a cross, make major sacrifices and follow Jesus. Rather, they want something that makes them comfortable with who they already are and how they already are. They want acceptance as they are, not repentance so they can be who they ought to be. Think on these things.
3 comments:
I know I'm responding belatedly but I just wandered into your blog and this very much caught my eye. I don't identify myself as a Christian, in part because I'm repulsed by the self-congratulatory and egoistic tone of so many who do - a tone that's identified perfectly in your comments. It seems to be all about loving yourself (frequently with little reason) and being mindlessly happy with everything you do, however wretched. Of course, I have other problems with Christianity besides some of its followers, but the overwhelming, aggressive self-love of so many "Christians" is deeply offputting to me. I don't know what any of it has to do with the message of Christ.
POG: I am not really sure that you have read thoroughly or broadly enough friend. I concur that egotism and true Christianity are mutually exclusive. Even the tone of this post (originally found at benwitherington.blogspot.com) is self deprecating.
I am not sure if that offers a different perspective or not. I'm sorry if most of the avowed Christians you have met are self serving or selfish, my prayer would be that you would meet some Christians who are not jerks.
I happen to know a few :)
Thank you for responding - I very much appreciate it.
I'd absolutely agree that I haven't read thoroughly or broadly enough, and I hope I'll never reach a point where I think I have.
I didn't at all mean to suggest that your posts had the self-congratulatory tone I was complaining of; on the contrary. I think my problem is more with the fact that I'm not coming across many people who practice (or even try to practice) Christian virtues in real life. I don't mean people who are in any way perfect, but rather ones who realize they're not and set about trying with a will.
My whine was more to the effect that, although I know exactly three people who identify as Christians and who are what they profess to be, most of those I meet have redefined Christianity to serve selfish and egoistic needs. I'll offer as an example of what chaffs my pelt: the mailings I constantly get from a religious group who keep telling me to "let God be your financial adviser" because "He wants you to be rich." Bleh!
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