There have been a few times in my life when someone has tried to evangelize me. I dated a girl once who was raised in a church that thought they were the only true church and the only ones going to heaven. (No, she wasn't a Church of Christer.) After we dated a month or so, she told me we had to have a serious talk. I was nineteen, maybe twenty years old at the time, and the words "serious talk" scared the living crap out of me, just for starters. I was certain that, since things had been going rather well between us, this was going to be a "lets get serious" kind of talk, and in a way, it was. It was also a "come to Jesus" talk. Her pastor had heard that she was dating a heathen (me -- "heathen" because I wasn't a member of their church) and had demanded that she put an end to it if I wouldn't convert. So, she had a tract or two that she wanted to work through: the first explained, from her church's point of view, all the errors of MY church, and the second one explained "the truth" (i.e., her church's position on all important things to know in order to get into heaven).
Now, being a good "Church of Christer," I did know a thing or two about the Bible, and I really had it over her in terms of Bible knowledge. Her church's reconnaissance on the Church of Christ wasn't very good, and her tract out of which she read to me accused us of believing a number of things we generally don't believe. Suffice it to say that she was rather unsuccessful in converting me. When it became clear that I wasn't going to be converted, at least in one easy step, she played her trump card: she told me that her pastor had demanded she break up with me if I didn't convert because they were not allowed to date non-Christians. The last time I saw her she was shouting at me from her front porch as I got into my car, telling me it was my own fault I was going to hell. After reflection, I had to laugh at the veritable role-reversal: it was usually us C2ers who. . . . Well, you get the picture.
Last fall, at a conference for religion scholars, I took a break from the sessions, bought a Venti bold coffee from the Starbucks in the conference center, and sat down at a table to relax and read for a few minutes. The table, which I was sharing with other conference-goers, was approached by a man who was handing out leaflets of some sort. I was curious, so held my hand out for one. He informed me that it was for the American Communist Party; I told him I thought capitalism was from Satan. He was suddenly my best friend. It turns out he is an ex-pastor, now an atheist, but still trying to change the world. He pulled a chair up close to mine facing me, leaned forward and tried earnestly to convince me that there is no God and that the only hope of the world is communism. I tried to convince him that certain communist principles aligned pretty well with the gospel of Jesus. I think in the end we were both unconvinced, but I bought some CDs of lectures from him, and I think we both enjoyed the forty-five minute conversation about the ways capitalism corrupts the human soul. I sipped my Starbucks throughout, relishing the irony.
In both of these situations there were a variety of ideas flying around, shot by one party toward the other, almost always missing their target for one reason or another. Or, at least I can say that the ideas had little effect on their intended targets, compelling as they may have been to their adherents. They simply didn't penetrate the other party.
I do have to admit, though, that I'm a little jealous of the communist. In some ways he's living the gospel better than I am. He's committed to a cause for which he has given up everything, a cause which consumes him as well as animates his life and every conversation (I watched as he made the rounds in the sitting area, talking to as many people as he could).
I wonder if I'm committed to the gospel of Jesus as much as he's committed to the gospel of Marx. There are times when it does consume me -- usually when I'm teaching or preaching, or trying to find a way to help someone negotiate life-obstacles. But there are other times when . . . well, when I'm quite the opposite.
In other words, there are times or "places" in my life in which the gospel has no or little effect. But for Christians, all of our life is supposed to be conformed to the gospel -- to the pattern of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This is what we re-enact in our baptism, and what we re-member each time we take the Lord's Supper. Jesus said that whoever wanted to be one of his followers had to "take up his cross daily and follow him" (Luke 9:23): a daily, hourly, even minute by minute death to self.
The word in the New Testament for "gospel" is the Greek word "euangellion." In the list of spiritual gifts in Ephesians 4, one of the gifts is to be an "evangelist," that is, one who evangelizes. What is it to "evangelize" but to "gospelize"? If I teach the gospel to someone who hasn't accepted Jesus, I am trying to bring that person's life more into conformity with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus -- precisely what I need in my own life.
The reason the communist so impressed me was the way his life conformed to the gospel he had rejected. "When I am lifted up from the earth," Jesus said, "I will draw all people to myself" (John 12:32). The "lifting up," of course, is Jesus on the cross. In other words, according to Jesus there is something quite compelling about the cross -- about the life lived by "taking up the cross daily," always putting others before ourselves. That is a life conformed to the death and resurrection -- the gospel -- of Jesus.
Like it or not, the communist brought me a little closer to Jesus. Thanks, comrade.
1 comment:
Chip,
It is unique to find someone, such as you, who sees the unseen with such apparent absolute clarity.
The following is a letter that I sent to Scott last August 13, following a Sunday morning bible study that I led for Church. It mirrors your observations and is humbling too.
Scott
Your mom may have told you about the terminus of the class, and passage of scripture that allowed for a great segue to the Wednesday night class.
I encouraged everyone to be back Wednesday for a message they could not expect, and that they should be wearing steel toed boots.
From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs! From Critique of the Gotha Program, 1875, Karl Marx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critique_of_the_Gotha_Program)
The text says 2Cor 8:11-15
"Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. DSM WORDS ADDED(From each according to his ability,)
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, DSM WORDS ADDED(to each according to his needs!), so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.
I am sure that many folks in the class have struggled with the communist philosophy of the New Testament Church, but they did not know what to say about it. Acts 4:32ff
I closed the class by pointing out that Marx taught Christian principles. He recognized the validity of the New Testament Church model. The problem is not in the communist doctrine it is in the communist's source of authority/power. Marx looks to the power of a feeble human institution of governmental authority. But, Paul, Peter, Jesus, and all other examples in Christ's Church look to the Holy Spirit for Power/authority.
Paul precedes this passage with the almost parenthetical statement about the example of the Macedonian Churches, 2Cor 8:5 "And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." Paul had expected the Macedonian Churches to just give because they "should", but they instead did something un-natural, they gave their whole being to God before taking up the collection.
My point to class on closing this morning is that these Churches knew where the Real Power resides, it does not reside in a carnal manifesto, a political regime, or a nuclear tipped ballistic missle, but rather in the Spirit of God, Jesus' and the Father.
God will take any small thing offered in faith by us, and make miraculous glory for Jesus.
I mentioned our trip back from Granite City, IL, when we were discussing if the effort and gifts were of any real value, since the power was back on and things appeared to be almost normal when we left. But, my thinking was 'well if we acted in faith, to the Glory of Christ, then it will be done.' And probably as you and I were speaking the power went out again in Granite City and there was use for those supplies. God struck down their power grid as a answer to our gift. I feel 'kinda' bad about that.
This really puts communism in a whole new light. Marx saw the "stuff" produced by labor as the issue in need of revision, but God sees the pure heart produced by faith in Jesus as the key.
God bless,
DSM
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