“The church is a whore, but she is my mother.” -St. Augustine

%*#@ and Other Thoughts

Chelsea Buhrman (reprint by permission)

I want to curse. Now, before you get hung up about cursing, let’s remember there are bigger problems in the universe; cursing is a minor one. Bloated bellies, female genital mutilation, the caste system in India… those are major ones. Oh, and 6 year old girls forced into child prostitution in Thailand. That falls into the “major problem” category.

A few years ago Tony Campolo did a good job, in my opinion, of “tactfully cursing” to an audience of 20,000. He stated that there were three problems in the world. The first: millions of people were suffering and going to hell. The second: most people didn’t care (he used another choice word). The third: that people in the audience were more upset about the choice word that used than the fact that millions were suffering and going to hell.

Ouch.

Can’t land in the middle on that one.

Recently, I heard a local pastor make the statement that in third-world countries the gospel is more important than food. He continued to say that to meet the physical needs of someone but not give the gospel is something we shouldn’t waste our valuable time on. After all, time is short and Jesus is coming back any minute now. If their soul is going to burn in hell, giving them a little bit of food is just prolonging the inevitable, right?

We need to rethink that.

May God forgive us (myself first and foremost) for not caring about the reality of the world; for being so ignorant and detached from it that we have the audacity to say that it’s more important for people to agree with us than it is to meet their critical physical needs. May God forgive us for not knowing or caring to know the pain of hunger, the heartache of losing all your children, the shame of rape and genital mutilation and the agony of being affected by an unprecedented AIDS epidemic.

If the roles were reversed and we were there and they were here, we’d be slightly ticked. We might even curse, just to see if anyone cared.

If you’re like many Christians, John 3:16 has been your mantra from birth. I’m pretty sure I came out of the womb reciting it. And, I’ll be honest, I dig it. I want the world to know that God so loved them. I agree with Jesus …I just think we’ve forgotten that “world” doesn’t mean “America.”

So, if we want the world to hear about Jesus… why isn’t the world hearing? Why are our buildings getting bigger (and more high-tech: cool lights, awesome stages, and flashy stuff are apparently an extension of the Holy Spirit?) and our “World Need’s” budgets (also known as “missions”) shrinking?

Isn’t the point to “extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul?” (Isaiah 58:10) It’s not, if your point is to have better programs, bigger buildings and more numbers. And flat screen TV’s. Those are pretty awesome. (By the way, please note that Isaiah 58 is not referring to some abstract spiritual hunger. We’re talking about empty bellies. The hungry kind.)

So who are the people who are going to change this? I was reminded today of what I’ve already been convinced of: it’s not going to be “the nice guy.”

Nice guys don’t stir up trouble.

Nice guys don’t get arrested.

Nice guys don’t break the rules.

Nice guys certainly don’t have the guts to risk losing their “nice status”

Nice guys don’t change the world.

Nice guys don’t die on crosses.

I think people should be nice, of course. But that should not define you; while the world is falling apart, nice people passively stand by and watch. Jesus did not stand by and watch. He was gentle, but he had a fire in his belly that nothing, not even death, could smother. If you’re nice, congratulations. You’ve become exactly what many companies, corporations and even churches are trying to make you. Grab your pew seat and fasten your seatbelt ‘cause you’re not going anywhere.

Where are the men and women who are willing to be revolutionaries (definition: radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles)? History cannot deny that it is those people who have changed the world, those who have risked all, often their very flesh and blood, in order to experience and share the love and justice of a God who is enthralled with humanity.

Here’s the challenge I face… I sometimes look at the Church (as an organization) and the people (individuals – very flawed ones, of which I am included) and my instinct in my frustration is, “forget the church.” However, I’m reminded in the words of St. Augustine, “The church is a whore, but she is my mother.”

Here’s the confession I make… I have so far to go and realize I can’t do it alone. I am desperate to find other people who aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions and wrestle with the hard answers, to peer inside their souls and look at what is really there. I long for a community of people who will genuinely challenge me in a non-legalistic, agenda-free way to live my life with purpose, filled with sacrifice and overflowing with joy.

Here’s the fear I have… I’m terrified that I’ll waste a lot of my life. I know I’m doing some good with my life. Heck, compared to some people I could probably pat myself on the back and throw up a high-five. But at the end of the day when I’m left alone with my thoughts, I’m still afraid that I won’t experience all that Jesus has for me personally and that I’ll miss what He wants to do through me corporately.

Here’s the hope I hold… I’m an optimist (in case you couldn’t tell). I’m filled with hope that she (the Church: millions of individuals Christ followers) will become what God intended. And instead of complaining or being critical, I’m going to love the people that make up my “church.” I’m going to continue to become the woman that He wants me to be; we, together, are going to continue to become the people that He wants us to become; a church that is glorious and beautiful and life giving to the world.

“Come here. I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” …resplendent in the bright glory of God.” –Revelation 21:9, 11 (MSG)

*My disclaimer: I want people to go to heaven. Really, really bad. I believe that Jesus Christ is the key to life. And I’m committed to spending my life to see as many people know Jesus and spend eternity in heaven. But I’m also committed to loving the world around me, regardless of whether or not they ever believe.

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