"The incarnational big-story gospel will require a place of discovery, where people will be able to see the truth before they hear about it. This place will not be a location but a community of people who are inclusive of everyone. These people will be making eternity attractive by how they live such selfless lives now, and will be modeling life in a New Kingdom in ways that will make it easy for other people to give it a try. People like this aren’t desperate to convert everyone; they are desperate to be like Christ and to be where Christ is. Their heartbeat to be transformed into the image of Christ, and to pray and work for little specks of transformation in everyone and everything they touch. Success is faithfulness. The rest is up to God."
To push back on Halter & Smay . . .
ReplyDeleteI would argue that to "locate" a place for the faithfulness of God, who is Christ, to be manifest is a bit anthrotheological. That is, to suggest that one must gather in community so that the other may "see" something attractive to cling to does not represent the encounter one may have with the Christ, who is made known through the redemptive empowering of the Spirit. The beauty of the gospel, and its power, resides in the truth that the freedom one is given to believe is a gift--gratuitously given not because of our action but because of God's eternal decision to be a God-for-humanity.
There are countless other social-justice groups who gather regularly that are much more self-sacrificing, self-giving, self-demoting, other-promoting, care-giving, etc. that the church. Yes, people are attracted to such generosity and selflessness . . . and I must say that Christ is there too encountering hearts and minds. Yet, He is also in those places where self-service, hatred, bigotry, injustice, and exclusion run rampant working in the same fashion, encountering hearts and minds.
To to say that success is our faithfulness is a diversion from the gospel. For it is Christ -- who is the one God-for-us -- that is faithful. Faithful to first and always gift his creation with himself, undeservedly and unreservedly. This is the heat of the gospel!
Our function is to be the receiver and witness to what has been received! Yes, such a witness may be worked out through our actions, but one must be cautious not to suggest our actions, in and of themselves, provide what is necessary to "see" and "know" God.
Well said. Your comments bring a balance to this piece of the incarnational living discussion. I agree that faith is God-originated, and therefore our "faithfulness" is a gift of Him. And may He be glorified as we respond to that gift.
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