Overheard
This morning, on a christian radio station promo spot:
"I don't have to worry about turning the radio down," said a mother's voice...
"I don't have to explain the songs to my kids."
Super!
Because I would hate to have to step away from myself long enough to explain songs to my kids. Or even think about them! Why talk about the impact and perspective of secular songs when we could just turn on the box marked "Jesus"? The one which, apparently, doesn't require any explanation or discussion about impact and perspective.
We live an insular faith. Which begs the question.. is it even possible to "live" an insular faith? Does such a thing exist? And it's not just about having our own version of YouTube, MySpace and Wikipedia. Although we do. (Double Super!) It's about never rubbing up against anything, including each other, and quite possibly the God that we claim to love.
This Sunday I went to a church that I've only been to once before. There are thousands of people who go there--it's literally swarming with bodies. And they have a great band, and cool lighting... video, glittery-robed choir, charming and personable pastor... But it struck me during the service that a person can quite literally go through the entire process of attending this church without participating in it one little bit.
Now, if you count showing up in the same room, singing the same songs, and drinking your juice at the same moment as "participating," then this is where our paths will diverge, I guess. Because I don't. When I can walk from my car, through the doors, to the bathrooms, to the sanctuary, be ushered to a seat, and then go through a service, communion, get back up and repeat the process.. and the biggest interaction required is a friendly nod and an uncomfortable handshake.. I think we're working with a model that's inherently busted.
Following Jesus is a participatory process. God participates within himself--a neat "triune personality" trick, and if you can pull it off please stop reading now--and so completes himself. And when God invites us, calls us, to be saved, he invites us to join the circle. To be participatory with him and like him. This is no accident. This is a necessary piece of a transformative process. And transformation is all-too-obviously necessary for us to be complete in a way anything resembling God.
Transformation doesn't take place from within. Even if you're of the "all I need is the Holy Spirit and my Bible" camp, the tools of your purported transformation aren't of yourself. We don't come with the Spirit pre-installed and a copy of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance strapped to our back. Iron sharpens iron, but only if you've got two pieces of iron. And, regardless of whether you've got the Spirit and/or a clever hinging system that's still not what Jesus taught.
According to Jesus, there's a better way to live. There's truth and community and transformation. Do we want to be changed? Do we want our world to be changed? As long as "going to church" or even "listening to the radio" are christian activities we do in a vacuum, that's not going to happen.
Christianity isn't about the self; it's about the other. Because it isn't the self that changes us.
Labels: because we needed something even more insipid than the original myspace
posted by caparoon @ 5:51 AM
3 Comments:
Amen.
I had that some thought a few weeks ago.
"Let's just let the program director at Christian Hit Radio decide what my family should listen to because I can't be bothered (or worse)."
Regarding participation in the Body of Christ: we usually make our churches in our own image - little American democracies with matching pop-culture accoutrements.
Scary.
No: Really scary.
I still find it refreshingly shocking when we remind folks that the Lord's Supper is not "me'n'Jesus" time, nor does it convey God's favor upon us for another week. Refreshing because it's a rarely proclaimed truth; shocking... well for the same reason, I s'pose.
I second that.
Although, ironically, I find myself insulating myself (and perhaps my family) from that very thing (insular faith). Which is probably not better, just different.
Heather and I have been having some good talks, and one of them was about was about our daughter's education. We are not exactly on the same page, yet, but pretty close. Schools in Champaign (and Urbana) are... what shall I say... a bit lackluster in some ways. I think the lower levels are looking up, but the middle schools and especially the high schools leave a bad taste in my mouth. It is hard to separate the real issues from the grossly overblown ones. However, no matter how you cut it, I personally want my little girl to have an appropriate amount of exposure to our diverse and rich culture, yet there are things I want to protect her from as well.
The whole idea of "participating" as you said, Cap, is quite good, but also quite elusive at times. How does one draw the line between safeguarding the loved ones and letting them learn hard lessons? How do you be not overprotective?
Participating as a parent is definitely a requirement. Leaving them (the kids) to their own devices is an interesting social experiment, but an even better way to shirk your responsibilities while attempting to feel smug and justified. And yet, that invisible line is important; more so because I believe both my wife and I have to be on the same page.
Sorry to take this on a slight tangent. I was trying, for my own sake, to be practical. Easy enough to bemoan how crazy our Christian society is, and I am sure this helps provoke us into the right direction. To a degree. A small degree, perhaps.
Beats me. : ]
I think you just pick something and go with it.
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