I have many friends that are not satisfied with “the status quo” or with “mainstream America” or with the “evangelical subculture” here in the West. I love these friends dearly. I know they most likely have great reasons for their mistrust and their criticism, but I don’t want to join their “club.”
I remember being in a room with two friends. One of them announced with great enthusiasm that they were going to an upcoming Promise Keeper’s convention. The other friend looked at him, scoffed and expressed how he couldn’t believe that he was going to such and such an event. This person had real problems with this organization, apparently, and now his friend had to deal with his other friend’s disapproval. I can’t remember too clearly, but I think my friend ended up not going to that. I could be wrong.
Another friend was chatting with me and made some critical remarks about the Courageous movie and how it was a movie made for Christians. It was inferred that the movie Blue Like Jazz was so superior, because it was a movie about faith made for non-Christians. While much of this criticism might be very valid, I don’t like the club that concludes that belittling this other movie is the right thing to do.
I think of an illustration I came up with a few years ago about the Jesus Doll. Someone sent us a talking doll that was a Jesus doll. If you squeezed its hand, you heard encouraging things and Scripture come out. Me and my college-age friends (generically referred to hereafter as “the young generation,” even though I’m probably too cold to count in its numbers) would have a real field day with this thing. How ridiculous. How offensive to my faith, too. Taking Someone I hold so dear and reducing Him to a toy.
You know what that sentiment is missing? It’s missing the behind-the-scenes story of an elderly couple in Ohio, who handcraft these dolls, laying hands on each one, praying: “Precious Lord, please let Your Holy Spirit go with this doll and use it to train a child up in the way it should go. Please use this for Your glory. Amen.”
It breaks my heart to know that me and my friends in Austin are mocking this doll that an elderly couple made in genuine faith.
Now, I made up the elderly couple just to illustrate a point. If we mock or pit ourselves against fellow members of the body of Christ we don’t like, we don’t understand or we can’t stand being around – we are somehow pitting ourselves against ourselves, against the body of Christ, against God Himself.
I’m not saying we can’t criticize. Being a Thought Policeman is the last thing I want to propose. I’m just saying I don’t want to be a part of that club. There’s life to be found in simple things. There’s life-changing power in a film like Courageous. If you don’t understand, don’t like or despise movies, art and circles like that, stay away. Pray for them. Ask God to give you a link to fellowship with them. Then go again and be a part of the body of Christ. Or not.
I don’t know. This isn’t about you. This is about me. I don’t want to be a part of that club.
Cynicism, being jaded and over critical are not fruit of the Spirit. Are they? I don’t have to like cute things or girly songs or Barry Manilow music with Scripture lyrics, but it doesn’t mean I have to put it down.
To my friends (who will hopefully NOT read this blog):
Do I still want to be your friend? Absolutely. I love you. I appreciate our differences. I appreciate your analysis of things. I appreciate how our differences can sharpen and affirm each other. I just don’t want to be a member of this club.
Can watching a Christian movie and crying and “being inspired” and all be an exercise in shallow faith? Certainly, but I don’t dismiss the work of God in my heart – be it ever so subtle. When I draw closer to Him, I am changed for the better. Should I rest on my “laurels” and the fact that I cried when watching Courageous or Fireproof? Certainly not. There’s more to life than a brief emotional high, but to put that kind of art/message/whatever down and dismiss it altogether? Not me.
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