Don't know who wrote it, but I like it.
The trouble with contemporary Christianity is that a massive bait and switch is going on. “Christianity” has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with something else, an endorsed “spiritual” substitute. For example, rather than being a decent human being the following is a list of some commonly acceptable substitutes:
Going to church
Worship
Praying
Spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting)
Bible study
Voting Republican
Going on spiritual retreats
Reading religious books
Arguing with evolutionists
Sending your child to a Christian school or providing education at home
Using religious language
Avoiding R-rated movies
Not reading Harry Potter.
The point is that one can fill a life full of spiritual activities without ever, actually, trying to become a more decent human being. Much of this activity can actually distract one from becoming a more decent human being. In fact, some of these activities make you worse, interpersonally speaking. Many churches are jerk factories.
Take, for example, how Christians tip and behave in restaurants. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know the reputation of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Millions of Christians go to lunch after church on Sundays and their behavior is abysmal. The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth.
I exaggerate of course. But I hope you see my point. Rather than pouring our efforts into two hours of worship, bible study and Christian fellowship on Sunday why don’t we just take a moment and a few extra bucks to act like a decent human being when we go to lunch afterwards? Just think about it. What if the entire restaurant industry actually began to look forward to working Sunday lunch? If they said amongst themselves, “I love the church crowd. They are kind, patient and very generous. It’s my favorite part of the week waiting on Christians.” How might such a change affect the way the world sees us? Think about it. Just being a decent human being for one hour each Sunday and the world sees us in a whole new way.
But it’s not going to happen. Because behavior at lunch isn’t considered to be “working on your relationship with God.” Behavior at lunch isn’t spiritual. Going to church, well, that is working on your relationship with God. But, as we all know, any jerk can sit in a pew. But you can’t be a jerk if you take the time to treat your waitress as if she were a friend, daughter or mother.
My point in all this is that contemporary Christianity has lost its way. Christians don’t wake up every morning thinking about how to become a more decent human being. Instead, they wake up trying to “work on their relationship with God” which very often has nothing to do with treating people better. How could such a confusion have occurred? How did we end up going so wrong? I’m sure there are lots of answers, but at the end of the day we need to face up to our collective failure. I’m not saying we need to do anything dramatic. A baby step would do to start. Waking up trying to be a little more kind, more generous, more interruptible, more forgiving, more humble, more civil, more tolerant. Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us.
I truly want people to spend time working on their relationship with God. I just want them to do it by taking the time to care about the person standing right in front of them.
Going to church
Worship
Praying
Spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting)
Bible study
Voting Republican
Going on spiritual retreats
Reading religious books
Arguing with evolutionists
Sending your child to a Christian school or providing education at home
Using religious language
Avoiding R-rated movies
Not reading Harry Potter.
The point is that one can fill a life full of spiritual activities without ever, actually, trying to become a more decent human being. Much of this activity can actually distract one from becoming a more decent human being. In fact, some of these activities make you worse, interpersonally speaking. Many churches are jerk factories.
Take, for example, how Christians tip and behave in restaurants. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know the reputation of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Millions of Christians go to lunch after church on Sundays and their behavior is abysmal. The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth.
I exaggerate of course. But I hope you see my point. Rather than pouring our efforts into two hours of worship, bible study and Christian fellowship on Sunday why don’t we just take a moment and a few extra bucks to act like a decent human being when we go to lunch afterwards? Just think about it. What if the entire restaurant industry actually began to look forward to working Sunday lunch? If they said amongst themselves, “I love the church crowd. They are kind, patient and very generous. It’s my favorite part of the week waiting on Christians.” How might such a change affect the way the world sees us? Think about it. Just being a decent human being for one hour each Sunday and the world sees us in a whole new way.
But it’s not going to happen. Because behavior at lunch isn’t considered to be “working on your relationship with God.” Behavior at lunch isn’t spiritual. Going to church, well, that is working on your relationship with God. But, as we all know, any jerk can sit in a pew. But you can’t be a jerk if you take the time to treat your waitress as if she were a friend, daughter or mother.
My point in all this is that contemporary Christianity has lost its way. Christians don’t wake up every morning thinking about how to become a more decent human being. Instead, they wake up trying to “work on their relationship with God” which very often has nothing to do with treating people better. How could such a confusion have occurred? How did we end up going so wrong? I’m sure there are lots of answers, but at the end of the day we need to face up to our collective failure. I’m not saying we need to do anything dramatic. A baby step would do to start. Waking up trying to be a little more kind, more generous, more interruptible, more forgiving, more humble, more civil, more tolerant. Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us.
I truly want people to spend time working on their relationship with God. I just want them to do it by taking the time to care about the person standing right in front of them.
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I left a bigger tip on the table today because of this post. Amen to it. We aren't ever angry customers, but we can be loud and messy at times! :) -
I agree that too many can be called these 'contemporary Christians', the sort that practice a superficial and hollow service rather than something that actually comes from the heart. And they can harbor all sorts of political and social ideas, not solely the conservative type. This hypocritical lip-service then is apparent to anyone who they might have influenced positively, and is demeaning of the type of people they should be. There shouldnt be a consideration for contemporary Christianity anyway....our lives arent subject to the times, only to God. Your list of sterotypes are a group of traits I think that are not far from describing a humble, penitent person...though not neccessarily including the political/educational ideas. The difference between that type and the other you describe is marginal at best...if our love for God shows in so many ways, then we likely are not far off. -
While I understand what is being said by you, Derek, and in many ways agree, I think your comments somewhat miss the point being made. This article is, I believe, in no way saying that the stereotypical list given above is negative in anyway, but rather that it has surpassed the whole of its parts. In other words, rather then these things being a result of our relationship with God and sense of mission in spreading His love to all of those around us, they have become the PURPOSE for religious life for many Christians, including myself at times. We've stopped seeking to be the light of Christ to the world, and instead taken a detour to attempt to prove that we are righteous because of all the religious things we do. In effect, we've separated the way that we seek out God in our personal lives from the way we deal in our lives socially, economically and politically; we're so caught up in looking towards God, that we've missed who He's looking at--the poor, the oppressed, the disgruntled waiter looking for Christ. We must begin living EVERY aspect of our lives as an act of service and worship to God by representing Him in our restaraunt decorum, our immigration policies, and how much we sacrifice of ourselves not only financially, but in our time. We've got to stop seeking to be religiously pious and begin immersing ourselves in being Christ to every one. -
thats some good thoughts! and i love you too! and miss you lots(: -
I pray that we will all seek a faith that changes our hearts first - leading us to bear fruits in every aspect of life - not just those limited to a subconcious check-list. I think a change in someone's heart would still produce the majority of the items on your list... but I am in full agreement that we've missed the point if those actions become our goal. We should strive to be decent human beings, yes, but also more than that! It should no longer be I who live, but Christ who lives in me! Thanks for the thoughts (Gary and Derek included). -
If you think this post is saying NOT to live a moral and godly life, then you need to read it again. -
me too(: i dont know what i would do if you werent there to talk to or cry on. i love you traci! ♥
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gary's mom!!! hi gary's mom!! i love you gary's mom!! ...sorry, but i just saw your name like this on a page and i wanted to call you that(: hehe.
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i just wanted to let you know, you are absolutely beautiful(:
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Whaasssup! Love you. :)
