Monday, May 14, 2007

Christian-Other

In the farcicle world of MySpace, I am increasingly confronted with folks who parade under the moniker of "Christian-Other" as their religion. I'm not sure if this is a default by MySpace, that those who choose to be witnesses (?!) in this way are, ipso facto, lumped into the "Other" category as well. This could be the case. Or they could be choosing it as a reasonable alternative to being associated with those Christians they find to be too closed-minded, or too progressive, or too stiff, or too liberal, or too purple, or what have you. It's been said to me that the Emergent movement is made up, in a basic sense, of Christians who hate church. I don't know that this generalization is entirely true, and furthermore, I don't think that generalizations serve us very well in dealing with problems, but I digress.

Perhaps the Christian-Other is the careless child of folks who consider themselves Christians and yet do not, for whatever reason, like or approve of being part of a local church body or some activity or belief in which that body is engaged. To begin with, this is kind of like the tight end leaving the team because the center sucks. But that is not what most strikes a doleful chord with me. I am most frustrated in finding that many of these people, many of them my friends from days of yore at Carson-Newman and so forth, are so disenchanted or so deceived or so lost that they find debauchery to be acceptable Christian behavior, and they talk about it proudly to their MySpace "friends". I understand that these sins are no worse than my own, the greatest of which are usually pride, cowardice, and disbelief.

However, this seems to be a stubborn, heels-dug-in problem in my generation. I'm sure there are a great many goats and a great many wolves in the fold, and it is difficult to sort out one from another some days. But, as a follower of Jesus, a Christian (yes, those two are actually the same thing!), I feel increasingly frustrated by the believer who has no real purpose, and no real direction. They get lost in the mix, and disenchantment follows disenchantment. I still, however, have great hope in the fact that my Lord is not a cynic. Why don't you do something, you say? Well see, I've thought about that. I'm not quite sure that a 'MySpace Comment' would be the best of venues for confessing our sins one to another, and restoring each other gently. It might do more harm than good if I go about pridefully spouting off the faults of my brothers and sisters over the internet. Besides, more and more the Spirit leads me to pray, and less to speak. Too often I have spoken, as if any words I could muster would be equal or akin to the help I can beg from my God.

I don't suppose this is much of anything, this post. It seems to be more informative of a present and coming crisis than anything. So here I stand, a salesman from a circus kiosk, and I harangue you, dear passer-by, hoping you are my brother and sister, and hoping that you have a care for the Bride.

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