I found this interesting article in the Australian today written by Michael Jensen. He is writing about Calvinism (which Is basically the Christianity that we know here in Sydney). He believes that our culture sees our church as similar to Islam.
“It is a church of prigs and wowsers, of Talibanesque idol-smashers and woman-haters, of middle managers and bean counters. It is a faith that broods on the depravity of humankind rather than celebrating its glorious capacity to build, to create and to redeem. It is the religion of Ned Flanders and the ironically named Reverend Lovejoy.”
I wonder if that’s true? I’ve certainly heard people say some similar things. How can we change what our culture thinks about Jesus and what it means to follow him? Do people think this because of the way we preach to them about doing the wrong thing? Should we simply lead people to Jesus and not talk about any of the implications for their lives?
I don’t think so. If we follow Jesus, we believe that following God’s way truly is the best life, even in tough times. We need to share that with people, in love, and not just be seen as moralists who are judging sin in our friends lives.
PS - The article is worth a read for more information on Calvinism too.
No comments:
Post a Comment