I ask:
Who do we say Jesus is?
And for that matter who do we say we are?
When describing ourselves do we say—out loud-- that we’re Christian? It’s easier to describe ourselves as Episcopalians…or members of GS/ASC…but saying the C-word isn’t as easy, is it?
The moniker has been hijacked by those who proclaim to be devoted followers of Christ but use the words of the Gospel to condemn and exclude rather than lift up and welcome. “Christian” conjures up all sorts of images…many pretty unpleasant. How many atrocities have been done in the name of Christ? Large and small, horrible things have been done in the name of the rabbi from Nazareth.
So yes it can be very uncomfortable to claim ourselves as followers of Christ, as Christians; not only because of the residue of the intolerant right wing fundamentalists but also because...well....it's uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable.
It’s way easier to live as Christians out there yet only proclaim it in here.
Last year, a parishioner said to me, “I like your sermons a lot but I’m uncomfortable with how often you mention Jesus. I’m really more comfortable with God.”
Now at first blush this may seem insulting and offensive, but I get it. Many of us are much more comfortable with the idea, the concept of God rather than the person of Jesus. And therein lies the point---God can remain an ethereal, imaginative concept while Jesus is an actual guy. Who did things. And said things. And expects things. And who will, one day, come back. He’s tangible.
Lots of us avoid and ignore him…not because we aren't fans, not because we aren't faithful believers, but because….well that’s what “those “ people do—the fundamentalist intolerant crowd. We’re more stately, more reserved than that, aren’t we? Yes we’re pretty good at living our faith, but we stink at proclaiming it outside these doors. I mean, how many of us will stand up and be counted as Christian?
Early last week I read an opinion piece in the New York Times written by the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder entitled, “Who Will Stand up for the Christians?” In it Lauder outlines the atrocities being committed against Christians in the Middle East and Africa. He writes, “The Middle East and parts of central Africa are losing entire Christian communities that have lived in peace for centuries.” Just last week Boko Haram destroyed---I mean obliterated—the predominantly Christian town of Gwoza in northeastern Nigeria; half a million Christian Arabs have been driven out of Syria, in the past three years, the Christians of Palestine are shrinking before our eyes and we all know what’s been happening to the Christians of Iraq. Christianity is being systematically wiped out in the land of Christ….and yet….where’s our outrage? Here we have a Jewish man standing up for Christianity, which is wonderful, honorable and appreciated. But where are we? Why aren’t we standing up for Christianity?
When you describe yourself, is Christian one of the first things you say you are? Shouldn’t it be? After all isn’t your faith THE guiding principle of your life? Aren’t the values we espouse week in and week out right here the linchpin of who you are and what you do?
While the shrinking of Christianity in the Middle East and Africa is due to intolerance, in the western world, especially in Europe and the US, it’s because of indifference.
Who do we say we are?
Isn’t it time for us to say, loud and clear, who we are. Yes we are Episcopalians, yes we are members of GS/ASC. But we are these things because we are Christians.
Isn’t it time we reclaimed Christianity from those who played fast and loose with the integrity of our faith?
Isn’t it time we begin to talk about our faith?
Isn’t it about time we became proud to be and to live as a Christian?
Isn’t it about time that when we say we are Christian people understand that this means love and inclusion not hate and exclusion?
Isn’t it about time we came up with language to tell people just who we are, who Jesus is, and how Jesus is at the center of our life?
Isn’t it about time we felt compelled, driven and drawn to expressing our faith in a way that was honest and true?
Isn’t it about time?
Jesus says, who do you say I am?
I say, who do we say we are?
We have our creeds, our affirmations of faith. We have our catechism, the outline of faith.
But who DO YOU SAY Jesus is and who DO YOU say you are, in relation to Jesus Christ?
I have a suggestion—write it down. Write down who Jesus is to you. Write down what you’d like people to know about Jesus, about God and about the Holy Spirit. But don’t cheat Jesus…give him his due.
I’d love it if you shared those thoughts with me. I think this could make for the beginning of a great conversation.
Not sure where to begin? Not sure how to claim this faith as your own? [talk to Pete or to me. We'd gladly sit with you to discuss finding a language of faith understandable out in the world] Beginning September 14 from 9 am -9:40 am I will be meeting with people to discuss just what it is we believe. I urge you to attend…if you can’t attend because of choir rehearsal or teaching Sunday School,[you can also join us at GS ] attend the Tuesday evening Eucharist and Bible study it’s a great place to wrestle with these questions.
Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. God is the overarching presence and the Holy Spirit is what gets us moving, but it is the namesake of our faith, Jesus Christ, a full and complete human who is also fully and completely God, who makes us who we are. Shouldn’t we be comfortable mentioning him? Shouldn’t we be able to express who he is? And shouldn’t He be a major part of who we are and who we intend to be?
Who DO we say we are?
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment