The Christian Prerogative

As a child growing up with two ordained ministers as parents, I was exposed to many discussions surrounding the Church. Faith was regularly discussed during dinner. There are many things I gleaned from my parents’ conversations some of which I didn’t come to understand until I was much older. Some things however, have always been clear to me. From the earliest I can remember, I was taught that as Christians we have a few jobs. One of them is to be a steward of the world and everything in it. Another is living your faith. A third, which nicely rounds out this group, is that faith without works is dead. So we’re supposed to take care of the world by living our faith and we live our faith by acting in ways that illustrate the teachings of Jesus. Unfortunately, very few Christians seem to do that. Quite a few people seem to have missed the boat entirely.

Let us examine the central point of Christian belief: Jesus is the Son of God and the path of salvation is through him. There are some who say in order to be a Christian all you need to do is to accept Jesus into your heart, and the rest will follow. This kind of thinking leads to inaction by default. If all you need to do is to accept Jesus as your “Lord and Savior” then you don’t need to change any of your actions. In other words, you say you have accepted Jesus and are a Christian, yet you continue to behave the same way you did BEFORE you became a Christian.

Some groups argue that your actions on Earth have NO bearing whatsoever in Heaven. It is only through God’s grace that you are allowed into Heaven. This again leads to inaction. There is simply no incentive or motivation to realize faith through actions with this belief.

Well perhaps if you never knew Christ and you committed atrocities all your life until your dying day and then suddenly saw the light, God might forgive you. I don’t know. It’s clear that an element of grace is present when we consider the parable of the Prodigal Son or the Workers in the Vineyard. Certainly you’re allowed a few mess ups if you claim Christianity. Jesus and God seem to be rather forgiving when we examine the Gospels. However if you claim to be a Christian and yet willfully go against the Word, are you really a Christian? In my estimation, if you’re not at the very least trying to follow Jesus’ instructions, you do not have the right to claim Christianity (Fortunately I’m not the one waiting at the Gate.).

Christmas Eve and Easter service attendance is not enough to save you. We aren’t saved through a proclamation. We aren’t saved through ritual sacraments, services, or reading the Bible. Salvation does not come through prayer. There is only one path to salvation and that is living like Jesus as best as you can. It means loving people, or rather having compassion for your fellow humans and acting out that compassion daily in specific ways. Living like Jesus requires thinking about everything you do and considering how your actions impact those around you. It means conserving energy and resources. It means spending time on people rather than spending money on things. It means an attitude of gratitude. It means voting for politicians and policies that will facilitate social justice rather than voting for a politician who tows the party line. It means speaking truth to power. So when a corporation does something that is detrimental to the community or to people anywhere you stop supporting them. Instead you support a company that is for people and for community. Following Jesus means acting on behalf of the poor, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and imprisoned. So when the truck comes around your neighborhood asking for donations right before Christmas, by golly you donate. You volunteer to stock shelves at the food pantry. There is no piece of scripture that is clearer about how Jesus would act than the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. The groups of people listed are of utmost importance and should therefore be at the center of our actions in this world. It is through our actions that we are saved. It is not enough to profess faith. It is not enough to stand idly by saying “others are more qualified” or to go to small groups or to join the church band.

It is our obligation as Christians to claim our faith and to save the world, one person at a time – one life at a time. This does not mean altar calls, but rather means life changes. You are literally reborn when you become a Christian because you choose a completely new life. You commit yourself to a life like Jesus’ and renounce your past bad habits. When everything becomes sacred, and there is no separation between the divine and the earthly, and every action is an act of faith and of worship, then we are truly saved.

It is an ongoing process, and the most difficult task set before us. It is tempting to fall into step with popular culture and forget our responsibilities. It is tempting to walk away and ignore Jesus’ words, the yearning of our spirits, the call of God, and the choice we made. This is why the Church exists. It is a place where those trying to follow Jesus’ path are able to nurture and support one another in their journey. It is a faith bound in community and communal action, so it makes sense that we come together weekly to check up on each other, at the very least, if not see each other several times a week (or even daily).

Don’t lose hope. Though the Church is sickly, it is remains a testament to Faith’s endurance. We remain. We are here to help each other, following the Way, the Path to Salvation. Our less than perfect attempts get us there nonetheless as we have only ever sought the journey.

Thank GOD we are allowed to walk with HIM.