There is a very thought provoking essay over on the Internet Monk's blog about non-Christians and how Christians typically respond to them. I appreciated this appraisal of the non-Christians:
The people I know are consumers, not seekers. They consume entertainment, movies, personal events, possessions, experiences and relationships. The idea that God has a claim on them is comprehensible, but virtually meaningless. What they want and what they need is in this world, and is not on the other side of a prayer.
I also agreed with him here:
Today's young people are bored with God. They are not "seeking" God at all, but are living on the hardened surface of a fallen human experience, seeking to make sense of what is incomprehensible apart from Christ. We cannot "create" interest apart from the work of the Spirit. Our calling to be witnesses is not to approach the world like cattle to be herded, but as persons to be loved in the way God loves this fallen world through Jesus Christ.
The first thing that this essay got me thinking about was how I need to be more involved with evangelism. I think that the gimmicky evangelism that he talks about is easier then real relationship based evangelism because then people have less fear of being criticized. Let me explain. If you have a real relationship with someone then telling them that you think that their whole life is headed in the wrong direction takes courage and firm faith that your position is correct. If on the other hand you herd some people into your building for a harvest festival and then put tracts in the goody bags you've expended no risk. If someone doesn't like the tract then they just won't come back the next year. I think that my lack of courage has to do with the fact that I lack strong faith. If I really deeply believed that I held the key information that could change a person's life and eternity then I would have no shame in or problem letting everybody know.
Another thing that I thought about was how too often my spirituality is selfishly motivated. I seek personal transformation so that I can get along better with others. I continue believing in God and the hope that he gives because if I didn't then I would fall into a horrible depression that would likely end in suicide. Once in a while I actually do something just for God but frankly this is rare. My faith is too consumeristic. I guess that this is just a part of the fall and shows yet again how desperately I depend on God's forgiveness and mercy.
I suspect that a lot of other people in the church are involved because it at the moment that is what is the most satisfying thing to do. Once something better comes along they will move on. I think that this is probably why people who seem to be super committed Christians can walk away. Their faith was never truly faith but being a Christian was pragmatic in a worldly sense for a time and then it became pragmatic to leave it behind. I wonder how many people would continue to self-identify as Christian if there was serious persecution in our countries. I bet that that would drive out out the uncommitted. Maybe we should pray that it would come.
Posted by rose at May 15, 2006 12:23 PM