"When the gospel has become bad news to the poor, to the oppressed, to the broken-hearted and imprisoned, and good news to the proud, self-righteous and privileged instead, it is no longer the gospel of Jesus." - Beth Moore
This week, one of my professors introduced us to a man named Theodore. He was a Christian pastor and theologian who wrote during the seventh century. Most of his writings were in response to the rise of Islam. In fact, he lived in an Islam controlled country and was a minority as a Christian.
Theodore wrote that false religions are built upon ambition, permissiveness, and tribal zeal. That it is about power for oneself or control over something or someone else. At the time, he noticed a contrast in Christianity. According to Theodore, we can know Christianity is the true religion because it isn’t about seeking power but about humility. It’s not about control but about service. It’s not about zeal but about relationship.
I imagine that description of Christianity does not ring true for those of us who have certainly seen Christianity be more about power and control and zeal then about humility and service and relationship. Even in the time before Theodore, during the reign of Constantine, Christianity became very intermixed with nationalism and politics and also appeared more like a false religion than a true one.
Throughout history, this aligning with politics, power and influence has poisoned the church and has never resulted in anything good.
We also read a sermon this week in that same class from Pope Alban II, which was considered the first sermon of the Crusades. He encourages the people, riles them up even, against an "enemy". The words he uses to vilify that enemy and justify the Crusades against them sounded awfully familiar. It may not have been "they're eating the cats and dogs", but it had the same kind of feel to it. He accused the Muslims who were living in Jerusalem of desecrating Jerusalem and committing all kinds of vile acts. Therefore, he told the people that fighting against the Muslims and reclaiming Jerusalem was their pilgrimage. It was their path to salvation and eternal rewards will be waiting for them.
Interesting words. Provocative words. And it worked.
Some 60,000 or so soldiers responded, and they went on kill, murder and destroy, reclaiming Jerusalem, temporarily at least, and wearing the name of Christianity with crosses sewed onto the back of their shirts (a literal interpretation of "take up your cross and follow me").
The Crusades are a stain on Christian history. True, other religions have also committed acts of extreme violence, but they should never have happened in a religion with a Savior who told people to put down their swords. A Savior who told us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek. A Savior whose teachings were about love for God and love for neighbor, not zeal for country.
The militarization and politicalization of our faith have continued like a pattern throughout history. And we see it continued even now.
This is not who we are. This is not who Jesus is.
The Bible says we should be known by our love and our good deeds and our acts towards others. That even those who do not believe should thank God because of us.
If all we are about is control and power and privilege and nationalism... that is not Christianity. That is faith in country. Faith in a flag. Faith in a political leader.
It is not following after Jesus.
Phil Wickham has a song called "The Jesus Way". The bridge says this:
And I choose surrender
I choose to love
Oh, God my Savior, You'll always be enough
I choose forgiveness
I choose grace
I choose to worship, no matter what I face
I choose the Jesus way
We could all benefit from choosing the Jesus way. Choosing love and grace and forgiveness. Caring for neighbor, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, welcoming the stranger. Jesus never asked if people deserved the help or if they were worthy of His love. He never followed the societal rules about who was "acceptable" and who was not. He never treated people as though they were not worth His time or attention.
I believe the Jesus way is the way of humility, service, and relationship. It has all the marks of a true religion, according to Theodore.
Unfortunately, the American church has largely forsaken the Jesus way, trading it in for a false, temporary kingdom and a false, flawed king.
There is a true path. And those who seek it will find it.
They will find it in Jesus.
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