What if there was a movement of people that actively stood up for Christ’s truths in our culture? What if we demanded leaders that truly stood up for legislation that promoted justice, peace, equality, and righteousness – and that actually acted in a way that promoted these truths?
As the Church, we are called to be "salt and light" in this world. (Matthew 5:13-16). It is no secret that our human nature suffers from the disease of inherent selfishness - looking at the world around us, this self-centeredness is apparent everywhere. Unfortunately, rather than visibly combating it, the Church seems to be joining in much of the time.
As my pastor recently said, our lives as Christians merely look "tweaked, but not transformed. Why would anyone want that?" We should be so salty and so filled with light that we look DIFFERENT to this world - different in a way that gives people the answer our hearts are all searching for.
How do we do this? How do we live in such a way that we are still in this world, still engaging the world, but live as salt - set apart and different?
I recently read an article elaborating on the beliefs and platform of the Tea Party. The article pointed out that the Tea Party has no “official” platform, but then went on to list their interests and priorities. As I read it, this problem of our inherent human selfishness grew more and more glaringly obvious: every single priority of the Tea Party had to do with self-interest. Whatever was best for them – for us – as Americans was the priority. No matter who else it affected and how – if it was what would most benefit the United States, that was the option they favored. It seems that the only platform of the Tea Party is self-interest.
I don’t think it is any secret why the Tea Party became so popular so fast: it is all about us. It feeds our already natural inclination to put ourselves before anyone else.
As Christ followers, we are called to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2). We are called to actively fight this human nature as we learn to live in the power of the Spirit. We are called to actively provide an alternative, another way, to movements like the Tea Party that feed our selfish nature.
As Ravi Zacharias International Ministries writer Margaret Manning said in a recent article about this very topic of human selfishness: We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others… In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, “[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14). Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
This is our purpose. Rather than let our selfish sinful dominate us and let us think the freedom we’ve been blessed with is to be used for our own purposes, let’s be reminded of Paul’s words: “…do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…" This mindset is completely countercultural – it is completely the opposite of the popular message of personal interest that the Tea Party preached. So let’s be the counterpart to the Tea Party! If the Tea Party can gather such momentum, then how much more can a movement that is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit? As Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 3: 14-21, God is capable of - and WANTS - to do more than we can even imagine. And THROUGH US.
What if the Church passionately and boldly demanded policies that support education reform, child welfare, the sanctity of life (babies in the womb as well as those living in poverty all over the world), justice for those oppressed all over the world, peace in our relations with other countries, righteous action in our government and in our dealings with other nations, prison reform, an end to the sex-trafficking industry, and countless other values that we as the Church are called to zealously stand for.
Then we need to stand together as the Church in demanding leaders that will also seek these values – regardless of their policy affiliation. What would it look like to our divided and partisan country if we, if the Church collectively – which would be a much larger group of people than those following the Tea Party – mobilized behind these values? These values of justice, peace, righteousness, equality – the values that everyone desires and everyone needs – are the truths Christ exemplified perfectly and taught, and the truths that He also prayed for His followers to live out. Christ prayed in John 17 for His Church to show His beautiful, selfless love through being unified in Him. And through standing together for the truths He commanded us to live out, the world will see Him. The way the world will see Christ’s love is through living the way He taught us, and one of the main ways we can do that today is using the power in the system He has blessed us with in this country to stand together for His truths.
The Church is essential for the betterment of government and society, and it is a necessary part of God’s call on our lives to speak out in matters of politics and to influence our leaders. As Christians, we are called to holistic redemption: not just redemption of the soul or of the society, but of both. Christ calls us to carry His salvation of the hearts of all people, but He also calls us to become like Him, living differently in this world, in a way that physically brings His redemption to the hurting and broken world we are living in.
Through Christ in us, we can be a people that reflect God to this world – a people that bring His redemption here and now. I’m not suggesting we start our own Christian political party or our own little Christian nation – no, far from it! I’m suggesting we demand a better way: Christ’s way. Not “conservative, liberal, or moderate” – but CHRIST’S way. I’m talking about boldly standing for certain values and staunchly supporting those in power who also stand for those values – just as the Tea Party did.
But, unlike the Tea Party, we stand for only what brings true justice, righteousness, peace, and equality….we demand selfless love, and we live it out. We actively bring it into politics by demanding the kind of leaders who will fight for these principles. We live it out by bringing these principles into every area of our culture: into business, art, music, what we buy, what we eat, how we live day to day, how we interact with all those around us…we help push our Christian culture as a whole to be salty in every area of life, living in such a way IN our culture that Christ is truly reflected to the world around us.
As the Church, let’s join together in living differently to bring Christ into our culture. Through our different gifts, we can work together to live out Christ’s selfless love in this world, and to teach others how to do the same. We can stand up and demand political leaders that will work for the issues that were close to Christ’s heart, and that are close to our’s. We can figure out ways to live simply, not buying products that hurt our brothers and sisters in other countries. We can personally live in a selfless way, in a way that promotes biblical equality and fairness. We can use our money to support businesses that are engaging in Christ-like work and practice.
We as the Church can start a movement that, because it is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Spirit in us, can do far more than anything the Tea Party was and is able to accomplish. We can help each other learn how to best be salt and light in this world, and help lead the United States and worldwide Church in discovering how to best be salt and light in our culture! As salt and light, we are called to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith, bringing the flavor of Christ into everything we do and shedding His light on this world. Using our different gifts, passions, and ideas, let's spur each other on and help each other figure out how to do this! Let’s start a movement to change our Christian culture and the culture of the world around us – and through this, change the hearts of people all over the world.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Freed to Serve by Margaret Manning
very thought-provoking and very true article:
Freed to Serve
A recent article in Christianity Today magazine caught my attention. With an excerpt from his forthcoming book What Good Is God?, author Philip Yancey discussed his speaking and listening tour throughout several countries in the Middle East in 2009.(1) Part of his listening included hearing how the "Christian" West is viewed by those living in predominantly Islamic countries. Time and again, he heard a familiar refrain: freedom in the West was equated with decadence. Yancey writes, "Much of the misgiving...for the West stems from our strong emphasis on freedom...where freedom so often leads to decadence."(2)
Of course, Yancey would quickly acknowledge that the freedom we enjoy in the West is often taken for granted. In general, we are free to do and to be whatever we want. We move unhindered towards the achievement of our own personal freedoms and objectives, without worrying about impediment or coercive control from outside forces. Certainly, we enjoy the privilege of the freedom to move about our country across state borders effortlessly. We have the freedom to worship, unhindered by government intervention or surveillance. Many of us who have financial abundance are able to access freedoms that only money can buy. We are free to think as we want, speak what we want, and do what we want. In comparison with people in other countries, we have the freedom to fill in the blank with endless possibilities. Freedom is the air we breathe.
But if we take an honest look at how freedom is exercised in the Western world, we ought to turn a careful ear to this critique from those looking in from the outside. Our association of freedom with doing, being, or saying whatever we want is often cut off from the intended ideal. We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others.
The apostle Paul wrestled with this issue as he wrote to the early Christians at Corinth. In discussing matters of personal freedom he exhorted these early Christians that "all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his or her own good, but that of his or her neighbor....whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24, 31). In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, "[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into and opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
- Margaret Manning, writer for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Freed to Serve
A recent article in Christianity Today magazine caught my attention. With an excerpt from his forthcoming book What Good Is God?, author Philip Yancey discussed his speaking and listening tour throughout several countries in the Middle East in 2009.(1) Part of his listening included hearing how the "Christian" West is viewed by those living in predominantly Islamic countries. Time and again, he heard a familiar refrain: freedom in the West was equated with decadence. Yancey writes, "Much of the misgiving...for the West stems from our strong emphasis on freedom...where freedom so often leads to decadence."(2)
Of course, Yancey would quickly acknowledge that the freedom we enjoy in the West is often taken for granted. In general, we are free to do and to be whatever we want. We move unhindered towards the achievement of our own personal freedoms and objectives, without worrying about impediment or coercive control from outside forces. Certainly, we enjoy the privilege of the freedom to move about our country across state borders effortlessly. We have the freedom to worship, unhindered by government intervention or surveillance. Many of us who have financial abundance are able to access freedoms that only money can buy. We are free to think as we want, speak what we want, and do what we want. In comparison with people in other countries, we have the freedom to fill in the blank with endless possibilities. Freedom is the air we breathe.
But if we take an honest look at how freedom is exercised in the Western world, we ought to turn a careful ear to this critique from those looking in from the outside. Our association of freedom with doing, being, or saying whatever we want is often cut off from the intended ideal. We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others.
The apostle Paul wrestled with this issue as he wrote to the early Christians at Corinth. In discussing matters of personal freedom he exhorted these early Christians that "all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his or her own good, but that of his or her neighbor....whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24, 31). In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, "[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into and opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
- Margaret Manning, writer for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
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