Being Good Friday, today we remember with humility and thanksgiving, the crucifixion of incarnate Love on the Cross. With His life, death, resurrection, and ascension nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ reconciled us to the Father for eternity (here's a great blog post by a friend of mine, Joe Boggs, on the Resurrection). Praise be His name!
One would think that in light of an act so infinitely powerful and grace-filled that we would never come to the subject I'm reflecting on today, but, sadly, we have. I'm talking about the sentimentalization of our faith in Christ.
Recently I was reading a humorous article in Newsweek titled, "Murder on Music Row: Taylor Swift? Songs about cute Little Kids? What happened to Country music?" You can find it here. The writer wonders where the gritty, hard-scrabble, down-and-out country music of yore has gone and wandered off to. At one point he asks: "How did we get to this strange, alien land where there's a country-awards show that honors pop-music teeny-boppers and a lot of the songs aren't really country by even the stretchiest definition?"
Where am I going with all of this? Well, a couple days after reading the article, I was sitting in a church service on Sunday morning listening to the "special" music for the day (why do we even have "special" music in church anyway--talent showcase? Or lack-of-talent showcase, as the case may be?), and I got to thinking about how the song was so indicative of the state of Christianity in America today. The song (I can't remember the title) was about a child's view of the crucifixion, and it really played up the emotional, tear-jerker side of the whole thing. And I thought to myself, this is a huge part of our problem; we've gutted Christianity of its real meaning. We've reduced our faith to nothing more than sentimentalism.
Is it any wonder that the Church is in steep decline in the Western world when all we have to offer it is a Hallmark version of the Crucifixion? Would you give up your comfortable way of living, turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, give the shirt off your back, even surrender your life for a religious faith that proffers you little more than a sports figurine of Jesus? (More websites talking about Christian kitsch, here, here, and here.
Several years ago, I asked myself the question one Sunday morning, "Is this all that Jesus died for? So we could get together for an hour once a week and half-sing a few songs and decide where to eat lunch during the sermon?" (I copied a quote from Francis Chan on this same subject a couple of months ago here.)
I don't know what this all means or even what the answer is (though I think Alan Hirsch is on to something in The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church. Check it out here.), but I'm willing to journey toward finding out. I'm ready to get past the sentimentalization of Christ and Christianity and find out once again what's worth giving my life to.
Are you?
1 comment:
I believe you're right in so many ways. I'm not sure it's wrong to view the crucifixion from different perspectives, such as from the view of a child, but I do clearly see how we have sentimentalized our faith. It is the very reason that 80% of Christians (so I've heard) don't read their Bibles, Christian Education in church and homes is diminishing and people have a general distaste for any true recognition of their Christianity other than Sunday mornings. How can we expect people to understand the true purpose of our faith if their so self-absorbed that they won't even take the steps necessary towards growth? Like you, I haven't the answer...there is something more and unfortunately many are missing it...
Post a Comment