A couple of quarters ago, I was taking my first literature class. One of the stories I read was by Langston Hughes. Something one of the characters said in the story was that sometimes you have to tear down the church to get Jesus off the cross. I remember being struck by that line. I pondered it for a while and couldn't quite figure out what I found so meaningful or honest about it. But it's stayed with me for a while now, and it came back to me last night. I started thinking about it, and I came up with this...
I think there are two types of Christians. Those who live in the shadow of Christ's resurrection and those who do not. What I mean is that some Christians live their lives as if Christ never rose at all. They're still believers, they're still good, but that's where it ends. But is it really enough to simply be
good?Those who live in the shadow of Christ's resurrection are people of hope. They know that when life is at its worst, there is still a small chance for something amazing to break through. They have faith, but they also allow themselves to wrestle. They don't pretend that God's ways are always crystal clear. They don't pretend that their lives are spotless. They don't pretend to be someone they're not just because they happen to be in a church building. They are real, but they are striving to be more like the One who created them, without judging those who do not share their ambitions.
The other type of Christian I see are those whose faith ends at the cross. They were a sinner, Jesus came to save them, and He died for their sins. But it seems these people forget that he also rose. They forget the hope that comes with the resurrection. They forget that the life Christ promises His Bride is not simply a new life in heaven, but a new life here on this earth. These people acknowledge salvation and even have it, but they often neglect to claim
all of it.
I was talking to a friend of mine last night and I told her that I'm not drawn to people that seem too good, too perfect. The people I'm drawn to, the friends I have, are good, but there's something else there. There's passion about something. I think passion is the number one thing missing in the life of the church today. I don't mean simply my church, but the Church as a whole. If the Church had the passion we should, if I had the passion I should, I think the world would be completely different. It would much more grace-filled.
So now to explain how the Hughes quote inspired all of this thinking. I guess it just struck me that sometimes God puts things in a person's life to get them to fall. Maybe not fall, but to understand their need of Him. Something the Eldredge's said in
Captivating is that often the longings we have in our hearts were placed there by God, hoping that instead of filling them with "things", we'd turn to Him, understanding there is nothing better that could make us whole. And perhaps the only way of showing us this is to "tear the church down."
I guess I just find it sad how many believers settle for mediocre when they could have excellent. We let selfishness ruin us. I believe selfishness is the number one thing that destroys a church. Church is not about personal gain; it is about loving your brother (which I am not that good at), taking joy in another's worship, bearing the burdens life together as one, and being brutally honest when life doesn't make sense. I think sometimes that people try so hard to be good that they forget there's more to it. Without passion, goodness means next to nothing. Without true love, goodness is garbage. The church falls apart without passion. When the picture a person has of Jesus is one of Him on the cross, they are forgetting that He brought new life. The resurrection should inspire passion and craft passionate believers. Instead it seems that people always reflect on the sacrifice Christ made with a somber attitude and tone. And while the sacrifice was greater than I could ever imagine, the fact that He defeated death should be the focus. Without that fact, Christianity is a joke, made up of people who are not joyful, loving, or passionate.
As I try to be joyful, loving and passionate, I know that those three traits are enough to change the world. As Flannery O'Connor said, the life you save may be your own.
Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain
All fools say, "Oh my God"
Oh my God, why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase, and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friend
Oh my God
Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries
Liars and fools; sons and failures
Thieves will always say
Lost and found; ailing wanderers
Healers always say
Whores and angels; men with problems
Leavers always say
Broken hearted; separated
Orphans always say
War creators; racial haters
Preachers always say
Distant fathers; fallen warriors
Givers always say
Pilgrim saints; lonely widows
Users always say
Fearful mothers; watchful doubters
Saviors always say
Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes
And all the fear that keeps me silent falls below my heavy breathing
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder
Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat all the wounds that money causes
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense
Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God
(lyrics by Jars of Clay, from their album Good Monsters)
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