While I sometimes like to think outside the box of orthodoxy, at the end of the day I usually end up back inside the box, looking out through the little oblong hole where your hand goes.
But I truly think that it is important for us to frequently analyze "Christianity". I mean, the Church is the Bride of Christ, right? So, what does Christ think about His bride? To attempt to grasp this sometimes it's worth getting outside the box and looking around.
At various times throughout history Christian Orthodoxy has included varying forms of racism, sexism, violence, ignorance, repression, oppression, and many other things that make me cringe when I think about it. We see this from our vantage point as 21st century Christians. Those poor, disillusioned Christians of ages past! If only they knew what we know now!
But what does Christ think about us? What does it mean to be His Bride now?
Will the Church of the future look back and wonder why we did so little to stem the tide of AIDS or poverty in the third world? I recently heard that if all the Christians in the world would only tithe (give 10%) then, without any help from governments or other organizations, we could end world poverty in a single generation. Just Christians... just tithing.
Or maybe it's not social justice. Maybe it's our theology. What about this push for non-denominationalism. Is this a good thing; a new ecumenical unity. Or is it a bad thing; the watering down of each denomination's distinctives into one "tame" Christianity.
What do you think?
How far can we push orthodoxy ('right thinking')?
What might Christ think of His 21st century bride?
What other things in the Church's past used to be orthodox but no longer are?
2 comments:
How about our Soteriology? Does it only take "asking Jesus into my heart?" Where does that come from, anyway? Does it take a turning from sin to be saved, or is that a "work" we are adding to Jesus sacrifice? Why did Jesus tell so many people to "follow" him-- isn't that a "work" too?
Can a person who "prays a prayer" and really never really follows Jesus claim eternal salvation for themselves because they accepted Christ? Or is their prayer- their accepting- what they trust in-- is that a "work"?
From my perspective, one of the things for which we as North American Christians will be held to account is our treatment of the poor (or rather our ignorance of them) in favour of our own comfort.
Good post.
Mikefrom mexico
Have your baby!
-Michael Douglas Morson
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