Last week I wrote on What the Church Should Be. I was so moved by a number of comments that I wanted to write a continuation of that conversation, and really, the first two points of what I think the church should be:
- singularly focused on the astonishing love and sacrifice of Jesus
- dedicated wholly to seeing all those far from God see his goodness and glory
Perhaps what has stirred my thoughts even more is the latest movie on the life of Mr. Rogers—”A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” I am still greatly anticipating seeing it, but one review in the National Review has left me wary, stating that the faith foundation of Roger’s life and service is diluted in the new film: “With progressive politics as the opiate of Hollywood, there’s no way to find true meaning in Fred Rogers’s life story, reducing it to the Christmas-without-Christ cheerleading.”
Now I am not a cultural analyst, nor do I claim to know much about Hollywood these days. After all, the closest I get to a night of television would be our Monday night American Ninja Warrior marathons.
But this review of the life of Mr. Rogers struck me as ringing dangerously close to what is occurring in the church in America. Perhaps this is why I love the quote from Pope Francis so much, and why I think it’s worth repeating:
I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security…More than by going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us, “Give them something to eat.”
This is vastly different than what some may call ‘secular humanism’–the belief that humanity is capable of morality without believing in God.
The church today, as in all times in history, has the opportunity to choose life and death. “Choose this day whom you will serve,” says scripture. We have the opportunity to manifest the full presence and love of God and create life where death hangs and waits to pull the vulnerable and marginalized and broken and poor into a belief which says they are lesser than others or less worthy than others.
Like Mr. Rogers, the church can never, ever be separated from its roots—namely, that the church only exists because Jesus Christ exists. Any waffling into secular humanism ought to be burned in the fires of hell right here and right now.
Fred Rogers once uttered these words, which I have never forgotten: “How sad it is that we give up on people who are just like us.”
One of the great disturbances in my own struggle with the church in America is that we have too often chosen us vs. them. We have believed that we are better than others and that our own wan efforts to help are enough. We don’t see our sinful and broken nature mirrored in those around us.
What the church is called to do and be is no less than a sacrificial people who cringe at the thought of being shut up in our structures and among those like us. We cringe at the idea that we can play judge and jury when we were never offered that position. We cringe that our comforts are priority while too many are living without the knowledge of a God who loved them so much that he sacrificed absolutely everything for them.
No.
In his masterpiece “The Screwtape Letters,” C.S. Lewis details a descriptive mentoring between the evil Screwtape and his nephew Wormwood. At one point, Screwtape says, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out…”
One of the gravest problems in our churches today, I fear, is a secular humanism-type thinking that has creeped in that has moved us away from being singularly focused on the astonishing love and sacrifice of Jesus or from being dedicated wholly to seeing all those far from God see his goodness and glory. We think we are the do-gooders and we decided when and where that will happen.
We are not thinking about the wonder of Jesus that ought to be our North Star. And we are not considering that we have an incredible opportunity to see those far from Jesus draw near.
We simply can’t change the world when our foundation is cracked. Inside of our churches, and ourselves, we have chips and cracks. Believing we are whole and healthy, we keep moving forward. We don’t see that our eyes have focused on ourselves instead of on God’s character, God’s mission, God’s purposes.
Jesus.
That’s who we live for.
The world.
That’s who we love for.
Any love for our churches begins and ends with those pillars. Is this part of why we must wander? Because these pillars have cracks that too many are unwilling to address?
This brings tears to my eyes.
I remember being at a Christmas party some years ago for a local organization fighting against sexual exploitation and trafficking. During the program, a pastor shared some notes of ‘encouragement’. He began this way: “From the world’s perspective, you guys are big, fat failures.” He was referring to the fact that in this kind of ministry, change is slow and the number of “successes” are quite limited.
True.
Yet, this pastor continued, saying, “But to God, what you are doing matters deeply. That’s why you keep doing this day after day after day.” Days, months, now years later, I can’t help but wish that this thinking permeated our churches—entire masses of people sold out to the call of loving Jesus and showing and sharing his love with our world, regardless of the results or the numbers.
This kind of foundation blows secular humanism out of the water.
It’s past time our churches look at the cracks in our foundations, and begin to rebuild who we are into a holy temple of God, and one that cannot help but be out on the streets for as long as we need to be until lives are changed.
Here’s my question for you all this week: Where have you seen chipped or broken foundations in the church? Have you seen any glimmers of hope that these are being addressed? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Much love, Laurie