A few days ago a Facebook "friend" (the quotation marks are not meant to be disrespectful or to call their friendship into question, but just to note the unique nature of Facebook friendship) included the following words in a response to a post I had made: "Is there any such thing as a liberal Christian?" And I have to admit that my gut clenched.
It's exactly that type of response that makes me shake my head at so much of Christianity. It's the attitude that seems to suggest that "I know the truth - and if you don't agree with me you're not a real Christian." Let me begin by answering my Facebook "friend" (same disclaimer about the quotation marks as above) directly - yes, indeed, there is such a thing as a liberal Christian. Just as surely as there are conservative Christians, there are liberal Christians. And let me make a couple of personal points. First, I try as much as possible to avoid the use of "liberal" or "conservative" to define and separate Christians into separate groups. Christians are Christians, and all Christians are children of God and beloved of God, and my brothers and sisters in faith. Second, many people don't know quite where to place me on this theological spectrum (which actually makes me kind of proud.) Most "liberals" would see me as "conservative" - essentially because I have a high christology. I believe Jesus was God in the flesh; I believe Jesus was raised bodily. But a lot of conservatives would take note of the fact that I'm a firm believer in the work of social justice as the heart of a Christian life, and I believe strongly that we should try to emulate Jesus' example of including and welcoming those who are often excluded or marginalized. So, I'm kind of in an in between theological world here. Back to the point, though.
If we take "Christian" to be a noun (yes, it could also be an adjective, but we'll say it's a noun in this context) then words such as "liberal" or "conservative" become adjectives. (In other contexts, of course, they could be nouns - confusing, isn't it!) In any event, I find it sad that the adjective for some people becomes more important than the noun. What is a Christian? A Christian is a follower of Christ. This means different things to different people, admittedly, but I know many "liberal" Christians who outwardly at least seem to do a far better job of following and representing Christ than many "conservative" Christians I know. My sense of the difference between "liberal" and "conservative" is that "liberal" Christians tend to focus on the outward living of a Christian life, while "conservative" Christians tend to focus on the inward adherence to traditional Christian doctrine. Each believes their way to be right; each is suspicious or dismissive of the other. Sad, but true. I'm not sure that either really captures the spirit of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus, though.
Yes, there's a doctrinal aspect to Christian faith. What we believe motivates us and moves us and shapes our relationship to God. But there's also what I might call an ethical aspect to Christian faith. How we live and what we do and how we treat others is how we incarnate Jesus - which is what we're supposed to do as a part of the church which is His body! Neither "liberal" nor "conservative" sums up the totality of what it means to be a Christian, and so neither liberal nor conservative Christians should be so easily dismissive of the other as I often see. Maybe we each need each other to be the totality of Christ's body. Otherwise, perhaps we'd be, in an allusion to Paul's wonderful illustration, like an ear with no eyes.
"Walk humbly with your God," said the prophet Micah. Surely a part of that humble walk should be to acknowledge that we don't know everything, and we certainly shouldn't be dismissive of those who proclaim their faith in Jesus but who live that faith out in a way that's different from ours. After all, it was Jesus who said, "do not judge" - partly because, in humility, we're not capable of judging what's in another person's heart, or what another person's eternal destiny is. Jesus also reminds us that there may be surprises waiting for us. After all, "not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven." It seems to me those words are a warning that not everyone who loudly proclaims themself to be a follower of Jesus is actually following Jesus! And, of course, Paul summed up the faith this way: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord AND believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Since I can`t know what's in a person's heart, I'm surely not qualified to dismiss how sincere a person's Christian faith is.
Jesus seemed to sum things up pretty well: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself." This, Jesus said, was fulfilling the law. Not the details, but the big picture; not the letter, but the spirit; not the trees, but how they work together to make an entire forest. I don't care if you're liberal or conservative or anything else. Long and short of it? There are liberal Christians and conservative Christians and Christians of a variety of denominational labels. As long as they're striving to love God and to love their neighbours, I'm not going to call the sincerity of their Christian confession into question. I'll leave such questions (if they even need to be raised) to God - Who knows far better than me what's in another person's heart.
Hi steven
ReplyDeleteYou raise the two greatest commandment teachings, I think we can consider as Jesus teaches that all the Law and all the Prophets (I understand that as 'demands of the Prophets) hang on those two commands. Yes, we agree, if i operate in Love for neighbour will i be jealous or happy for him if he gets the car i liked? if i operate in love for neighbour will i lust after his wife (we can consider Jesus 'raising the bar' rather than a 'letter of the Law' in relation to what he teaches on adultry , under some understanding of the Law one could say ' i did not have sex with her'), if i operate in Love for neighbour would i lie to him , kill him, and so on. The difference in believers and those who hold Jesus as a Prophet only ,is the belief in Jesus as Christ, the Messiah, the Lamb of God (which John testified to and Jesus confirmed his testimony as true) Jesus teaches extensivly on the issue , speaks of those who deny such will die in their sins, speaks much on the relevance of believers in God believeing in the Son, and the message of himself as Gods one and only Son. I think such 'questions' are significant to God and we can see Jesus and the Apostles speak to that, in the very scriptures you draw what you consider 'sum things up pretty well'. So now lets consider what Love for God looks like, with all our soul , heart and mind, who does not desire for any to perish, who would not forsake us. I think sharing the truths of the message of Christ is quite relevant, hearing, obeying, putting his teachings into practice, building upon the rock, not sand, being a disciple and following, is relevant , we do see Christ instructing in those who would follow in his ministry and share it , we do see Jesus addressing a issues of not speaking on his own accord, where his Word came from , and how to say it. The Gospel message is much indeed as you say, God knows far better of what is in ones heart, i consider it does speak of judgement and speaks of non judgement, if you consider what Jesus teaches about Gods will, and doing it , not his own, we can consider these two sets of verses and consider clearly what his ministry we share in about and we dont need to 'wonder' to so many non understandings.......cont'
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ReplyDeleteThe Gospel message makes sense. personally , i dont think judgement is something i would enjoy experienceing and we know even our idle words will be something for us to give account on. I also understand non-judgement, and I hope the Gospel message is shared truthfully and the relevancy of Christ as Messiah is not swept away for 'leadership' that 'pleases peoples hearing' in a catering manner we see in the world. We can consider Gods will and the first and greatest commandment and many things which are in opposition to it. If interfaith issues confuse you let me help, Through the recieving of Jesus as Lamb of God and the new covenant which we acccess through faith and forgiveness and repentance of sin there is atonement, i can only wonder how some could call on the one they dont believe in , and wonder how being ashamed of him and the Gospels can relate to that. consider these verses (and ask, who is it that judges?) : 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. (from John 5) ---- 47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”(from John 12) , yours truly, anonymous.