Christian relevance - real or myth? - and how would we know anyway?

11/8/11

The most difficult concept for Christians to accept emotionally is the need for equal relevance.  We live in a culture where we feel the constant need to make a difference, to be relevant and to find meaning. 

As a Christian, certainly not one as often described from a secular church perspective, but more from the authentic vision of the itinerant carpenter that we choose to worship, we are as heirs to the kingdom, already as relevant as we need to be. 

Now this is difficult to accept emotionally, from the perspective of self, and from the perspective of how we choose to see everyone else in the world.  Because if I am relevant simply by being, so is everyone else.  And by everyone, it means everyone, from the homeless beggar to the President.  Now where does that leave us?  I believe as equals regardless of position or station.  And this is where the trouble begins. 

Most of us are agreeable to the notion that we are equals in a spiritual way.  Equally relevant in this world, I think not.    Judging from the state of Christianity today, I think somehow we have missed the central Christian point of equal relevance for all. 

Which leads to another issue and that is the question of how important is Jesus in today’s world.  To paraphrase Andrew Greeley from his book, the Jesus Myth, if Jesus is not relevant to society at large today it is nothing new.  After all, Jesus was not very relevant to the society he lived in.  They did crucify him as a common criminal.

 So somewhere along the way the notion of relevance and meaning, as defined from the original Christian perspective, became seriously perverted.  It has been said many times, the Good News is simply too good to believed.  

The idea that to love your God and to love your neighbor as yourself takes care of everything else, including making your life immediately relevant and meaningful, is simply too simplistic to be real.  Then again, how would we know?  Judging from the state of the world most of us have never tried it.

 

Brother Giovanni “thoughts while “hanging out with Jesus”