Holistic Faith
| "If Christians go to urban centers simply to acquire power, they will never achieve cultural influence and change that is deep, lasting, and embraced by the broader society. We must live in the city to serve all the peoples in it, not just our own tribe. We must lose our power to find our (true) power. Christianity will not be attractive enough to win influence except through sacrificial service to all people, regardless of their beliefs." From that same CT article listed below. Reading this passage again and again, I have to wonder - what would Toronto look like if Christians put their minds, energies and creativity into being change, here in the city. A faith that does not permeate all of life seems somehow false. If it's not worthy enough to be believed and acted upon in all spheres of life, why should anyone believe in it at all? If Christian faith provides clues towards the character of God -- if Christ is who he said he was -- then why do Christians acknowledge Christ in word, and deny him in deed? Why is a Sunday profession of faith countered by exploitation, violence and hatred throughout the week? If Christians are to live faithfully, they must not only profess Christ as Lord of all in words, but live lives that exemplify this truth. |
posted by andrew at 12:27 a.m.
3 Comments:
Amen. It's not worth believing in if you don't want to practice it. Then it's just a restriction. Like I heard from Fr. Scott at my nephew's baptism yesterday, Christianity isn't for wimps....We've all gotta stop wimping out and follow through all the time, everyday.
thanks for posting about stuff like this. i've been thinking about similar things... like the other day i was walking in downtown kitchener. i passed a jail for young offenders, some low-income housing, some other rather shabby looking homes, and then, on that same street, a beautiful church with a perfectly manicured lawn. while i see nothing wrong with having a nice looking place to gather and worship, i saw this contrast as a metaphore for how we Christians tend to say one thing, but live another. example: we say we like to help the poor, and we might give a little, but only enough so we can continue to have the nicest things for ourselves. i do it to. and i can't get it out of my head...
so keep posting as you do. it's encouraging.
It'd be great to see Embassy / Elevation take on some more of this social justice bent as they grow as a church.
No matter where we are, no matter what local community we belong to, I'm convinced that a gospel preached without accompanying action is absent of the truth.
When we look to Christ, we see good news in both word and in deed. And this gospel, preached in all aspects of his life, is lived most especially, specifically, and convincingly in his acceptance of the cross.
What do Christians mean when they say that they "pick up the cross"? Are they really willing to send themselves to death for the life of the world?
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