Taking the Next Step
I am not an expert on Christian faith development. I am still working my way through understanding what a life devoted to Christ means, but the way I understand it is that 1) we need to turn our life over to Christ, 2) accept the grace of God for forgiveness, and 3) do what we can in terms of works for the good of others and the community in a humble and loving way. I am in the midst of a substantial argument with a friend over what the next step is all about. She is convinced that Christians should focus upon being without sin and devoting oneself to the law of Moses. Although I think this is an important component of the Christian life, she dogmatically clings to works, deeds, and purity. In the way I see Christ’s ministry, He continued to battle traditions, purity laws, and good deeds as getting in the way of the real work of changing people’s hearts and the ways we relate to one another.
A trap in Christianity is to reduce the life of Christ to one event. Many Christians solely focus upon the Cross and the notion of substitutional atonement. For some, it gives them the ability to act like a terrible person and just rely on the grace of God to “bail them out.” For others, the focus upon the Cross is so strong that they miss the messages of the gospel teachings. They strive for perfection and to be like Jesus. Is that even possible? The chief priests and the pharisees were the gatekeepers of law and tradition, and Jesus constantly challenged them! Why? Because they were missing the point.
I believe we must first turn our heart toward the Lord. Recognize that we are sinners and humans and will make mistakes. From there, we can begin to use our heart as a guide and the Holy Spirit will compel us to act more Christ-like. Well, what does acting Christ-like mean? I believe it means to put yourself in situations where you can do good, but do so in a humble and sometimes constructively critical way. In life the most growth often comes when we are put in tough situations. There is not always a RIGHT and WRONG way. We try to simplify things too much. The parable of healing on the Sabbath and the parable of the Good Samaritan specifically challenge us to re-think what we think is RIGHT and how we interact with the law.
Grace affords us the opportunity to step out of our “comfort zones” and challenge dominant discourses. I simply do not understand how American Christians respect Donald Trump and the Republican Party? How is marginalizing the poor Christian? How is being complicit in destroying the environment God’s will? I think too many Christians are too comfortable and have lost touch with deeper meanings of Christianity and Jesus’ teachings. This is a trap of relying too much of the fall-redemption paradigm. We see ourselves as “Saved” and the earth and the world as “evil.” Saved is a term in the past tense. I turned my life around, so I checked that box. Jesus challenges us to constantly work for the good of the poor, oppressed, and to treat others with peace and love.
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As I have begun my new journey, I have sought guidance in how to move through the next steps. I have turned my heart to God, I have recognized my sinful ways and that God’s grace is given to me. I did not earn it, and I cannot do more to earn it. Finally, I want to do what I can to share the love and peace of Christ with as many as I can as selflessly as I can. Does this mean a strict adherence to the Law? No, I actually eat pork. I do not worship on the Sabbath. I confront Christians and others when I see them going astray. This has unfortunate consequences because I have lost touch with someone I love and respect greatly. I miss her so much.
What am I doing? I give blood. I visit people in nursing homes. I try to live lightly on the land knowing that poor people will be most affected by environmental degradation. I read and study the scriptures — not just the ones I like and are pleasant, but ones that challenge my notions and try to use those experiences to grow in my faith. I promote peace and understanding as I participate in a Social Justice forum. I recognize others’ personhood by acknowledging their right to exist. I try to not be judgmental. I have come up with 4 fairly easy ways to show Christ’s love to others.
- Greet people where they are with love and not fear. I worked in retail for about six years, and I remember how some people would regularly talk down to me or not answer my greeting. They did this because they could and I (as an employee could not confront a customer).
- Seek peaceful and non-aggressive solutions. We are angry people and like to take that anger out on someone or something. I was an abused child. My father would get mad about something and whip me. My mother felt unloved and she tortured me so much that I felt unloved and insecure. The cycle of violence is real, and we need to confront that cycle and I do my best (not always perfect) to act in peace and love.
- Consider your world view and positionality. We all have experiences that have shaped us and continue to shape the ways we think. Is that healthy? Sometimes it is, and sometimes it can be destructive. A big part of Christ’s ministry was to increase empathy. We make snap judgments about people and use those ideas to paint a picture of that person that may be incorrect. As a man, I need to be willing to engage the feminist perspective. As someone who is white, I need to listen to non-white perspectives and stories. As a heterosexual, I need to be aware of the problems associated with gender, gay and lesbian lifestyles as well as transsexual and bisexual experiences. If I let my experiences dominate the way I look at situations and my outlook on others, that is not healthy.
4. Always be ready to act. One never knows when they will be put into a situation that challenges them. We need to be ready to act when God speaks, and do the works and teachings Christ commanded for us. I was at our county fair last week. I was holding a balloon flower my daughter had received from a local church. An acquaintance I recognized but did not know asked me where I got it. It was after 8 o’clock and the Hub had closed. I said, “Well, it was at the corner, but they stopped handing them out.” What a stupid response! At that moment, I came to my senses, and handed this mother the flower balloon. She was uncomfortable taking it, but that is what we are called to do. Be ready to give of ourselves, and give, give, give!
God’s grace and peace be with you wherever you are on your journey. We are all at different stages along the way, but always keep your eyes and heart turned toward Christ, trust Him, and walk humbly with God.
