I do a lot of (well some) cycling. If nothing else it helps to keep some semblance of fitness in this increasingly creaky body, it gets me out in the fresh air and it focusses the mind as well as giving it some space to think.
Recently, during one ride, in the middle of a long and painful uphill climb, my mind had unwittingly turned to work and what my role was a Christian working with many volunteers who give endless hours to their work with young people – in addition to their day jobs. As my thought processes continued, I was wondering how I can reach out with the gospel to these “lost” people. How do I “rescue” them? All of a sudden a thought popped into my mind (was it God or just my own thoughts – I have no idea. I’m too afraid to presume that God would speak to me) that went something like “Who says they need rescuing?” I responded, feeling a little like the Irish guy in Braveheart, “Well of course they need rescuing – from the grip of hell.” The voice in my head replied, “Well that’s true to a certain extent. But the people you know and care for are good, selfless people (unlike many you know in church), who don’t necessarily need ‘saving’ but transforming.” I shut up at that point, partly not wanting to feel even more stupid and partly because the lactic acid in my legs had started to kick in and grab my attention.
Once I was at the mid-point of my ride and had stopped for cake, I picked up the conversation in my head again. And, as I progressed with the line of thinking, that the voice in my head (God or not) had started down, some sort of common sense actually started to prevail – in my view anyway.
It seems to me that the common view in many churches, is that we Christians are on a mission to rescue people and communities from their sin and from the grips of hell. Although we probably don’t like to admit it, I think that this way of thinking has two effects on us and the world around us.
1) It gives us as a Christians a sense of puffed up superiority. Looking down on this bunch of sinners who are heading for hell – this very often a sub-conscious thought process, but it is there never the less, leads to developing some sort grading scale for sin.
2) It immediately offends those we want to help and means that they push back against anything or anyone they deem might be trying to lead them towards faith in Christ. I have heard countless examples of churches or Christian ministry’s announcing their arrival in a run-down community by saying, “We are here to save this community!” The locals immediately respond by saying, “Well, erm, actually, we don’t need saving thanks very much!” And they are probably right in many ways. The vast majority of the local people are probably good people, quite happy with their lives, thanks very much.
You see, many of the people I work with, don’t consider themselves “sinners” – they don’t even understand what sin is. In my view, as I have already alluded to, they are wonderful people, doing the best can in life and contributing to their community through their voluntary work. Most people you know will be similar, I’m sure. Most of the people I know through my work, are probably a far better example of a human being than I am, if truth be told. And, actually, I get on with most of them, far better than I do most people in church.
For me to have this arrogant view that I am “rescuing” them, seems odd, when they are good people, doing good in the world around them.
What makes more sense to me is that I help to transform their view of the Kingdom of God, of sin and what it means to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Maybe it’s just the way I read the Bible, but as I read the Gospels, I don’t read about Jesus wading into conversations with people about what sinners they were, except the religious people of the day…….pause for thought at that point.
Instead what I read about, is a Jesus who healed and helped people and pointed people towards heaven. He helped them to understand that there was something more to live for beyond the natural world we see about us and that it was something to look forward to, rather than feared. And, that God actually wants us there with him for eternity, because he loves us. And here’s the best bit, all we have to do is live our lives in relationship with God.
Yes, Jesus told people to repent, but my understanding, is that this simply means to turn back to God – have faith in him and place your life in his hands, rather than living life on your own terms and trusting the things of this world to make you happy.
The voice in my head was making sense.
We Christians need to transform people’s understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven, not make them aware of what they are doing wrong. To help them see that Jesus was pointing to a glorious eternity with God. We need to help our friends, colleagues and neighbours to understand, that although we all may be doing wonderful and selfless things in this life, it will count for nothing in eternity unless we have faith in Christ – as harsh as that sounds.
Sin is not about how many cigarettes we smoke each day or how many people we have slept with, it is denying God the relationship he so greatly desires to have with us.
The Bible says “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It’s something we as Christians need to hear as much as our non-Christian friends. We should all be on a mission of transformation, not a rescue mission