My question is: What issues bring a concerted response from Christians here in the U.S.?
Based on two emails I've received the past week, it appears that movies with an anti-God message (The Golden Compass) and large retailers who offer health benefits to the spouses of homosexual employees (Target) are two areas that Christians will get worked up about. This bums me out. Obviously, I don't mean to indict all believers of Jesus here in the U.S.--that would be overboard. But why do Christians get all whipped into a frenzy (and fire out forwarded emails) about a movie and a corporate decision about homosexuality? I'm developing my rant about "The Golden Compass" - that's for another time.
For now, my rant focuses on this: There are a TON of issues out there that demand Biblical wisdom, why would Christians "circle the wagons" around a movie and retailer? Why don't we fire out an email/article/blog/book/whatever demanding that true followers of Jesus do something about this:
"DETROIT - In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics....Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland Calif.; Camden, N.J.; Birmingham, Ala.; North Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Richmond, Calif.; and Cleveland.
The study ranked Mission Viejo, Calif., as the safest U.S. city, followed by Clarkstown, N.Y.; Brick Township, N.J.; Amherst, N.Y.; and Sugar Land, Texas."
While I have no basis for this, I am quite confident there is a greater percentage of Christians(as a percentage of population) in places like Mission Viejo, CA and Sugar Land, TX than there is in Detroit, Camden NJ, or Memphis. Let's get a Christian presence IN the city that rivals the presence of Christians that live OUTSIDE the city. My guess is the city-adverse Christian culture isn't just here in the U.S, it may be a global problem...sigh...
OK, enough on that rant, but it will most likely show up again. On a lighter note, if you can get your hands on the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," do yourself a favor and take it in.
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7 comments:
I feel you bro... and 10 years ago I may have just responded with "Amen!". But I would caution you to tread lightly here ...especially in light of spirtual gifts. Your rant could possibly sound like "why doesn't every Christian act and speak like me?" (what Bruce Bugbee refers to as "projecting" -- expecting other believers to behave in keeping with our gifts rather than operating in their gifts). The church has and continues to benefit from those with the spiritual gift of prophesy (speaking the truth in the face of adversity --i.e. Francis Schaeffer in modern history).
Where I do agree is that there are issues that should get more "air" and the only real change will happen when the seed of good news has taken root in the soil of hearts (Romans 1:16) -dispensed through the church (Ephesians 3:10, 21) -the only real way life-change occurs from the inside-out.
bro?
the real issue is: what does a christian presence in the city look like?
most 'christian presences' are irrelevant. like the actor who gives thanks to his lord and savior jesus christ after winning an oscar. christians go 'wow!' while the rest of society laughs, not because they are persecuting christians but because for the most part christians are irrelevant.
what does a christian presence in the city look like? in the case of crime in detroit they may realize that most of the people who commit dangerous crimes live in poverty or have been marginalized because of race or age or migrant experience. a christian presence would do something about the worldview that makes violent crimes committable and put that into public policy or public schools or public practice.
st. james wrote: If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
st. james?
Santiago.
anonymous? grow a spine!
. .
o
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