There is an emerging theory making a good point about what happens to a Christian the longer they live. It says, the longer one is a Christian, the less and less they hang out with people who are not of the faith. In other words, the longer in the faith, the more exclusive a Christian or group of Christians become.A pastor recently asked me how to reach the twenty to thirty year olds of today’s culture.
“Why?”, I asked.
“It’s in my job description.” He replied.
“What is?”
“As a staff pastor I am to create programming that will attract and reach a younger audience that will in turn grow our aging church.”
I asked him, “Where are the twenty and thirty year olds?”
“In the bars of course.”, he sighed.
“Sounds like the place you ought to be.”
Although this pastor knew this to be true, he shook his head acknowledging the swift termination that would follow if he actually went to a bar. Sadly, his situation describes the status quo church. They want people to come, but are unwilling to meet people where they are. This pastor shared that he agreed with the church in that going to a bar would “ruin his witness.”
At what point did avoiding people become our witness? One could argue that over time, the church became more interested in its principles than it did the people it was originally called to bring the Kingdom to. “Kingdom come… here on earth as it is in heaven.”
No wonder we have statements like Gandhi’s when he said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Jesus never put principle before people.
He said in the book of Revelation, (paraphrased) “I wish you were either hot or cold, instead you’re status quo. And that doesn’t settle well with me.”
Maybe we should spend less energy trying to talk about God, and instead be the place where God talks. Wherever that may be.
