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"I personally believe that the MARK will be either an invisible laser tattoo (they are in the skin) or a micro chip, which will be placed under the skin having the Uniform Product Code (UPC). This MARK, a type of bar code in the skin or on the micro chip, would be scanned at the point of trade."
-- Gary D. Blevins
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How do you describe the 'elephant' called Christianity?
Posted on Tuesday, September 06 @ 17:23:16 PDT by PreteristAD70 |
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Six blind men of Indostan, so the Hindu fable goes, try to describe an elephant. Each touches a different part of its body and comes up with a different description of what an elephant is.
In the late 1800s, John Godfrey Saxe wrote "The Blind Men and the Elephant," based on the fable. After each man had touched the beast, the poem notes:
"And so hese men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!"
His conclusion sparks a question for us non-Hindu Christians: How would you describe what a Christian is?
Think carefully. The self-evident answer isn't always the same for others.
And no wonder: Christianity has divided and subdivided more times than a red blood cell, making it harder and harder to find a core set of beliefs that everyone agrees with.
Over the centuries, church councils and synods have tried to do that very thing -- when there was still a semblance of solidarity. But their efforts lasted only as long as it took for someone to speak out in opposition to a jot or tittle left dangling.
Then came the Protestant Reformation, completely upsetting the theological apple cart. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, we wrangle over teachings of the Bible: Are evolution and creationism mutually exclusive or can they co-exist? Is the end-time an intricate timetable of earthly and heavenly events, or a sudden judgment day?
We debate the nature of the Bible itself: Is it infallible about everything it presents or only a guide for faith?
We argue about moral and culture issues: Is gay marriage a sin or a way to acknowledge a committed relationship? Is abortion murder or a necessary evil to protect a woman from a worse fate?
And those are only some of the high-profile issues, with layers of nuanced answers for each.
Disagreements also rage over matters that are for many people indisputable articles of faith, for others minor or anachronistic concerns.
So, what can we agree on? Is there any hope we can find a common set of beliefs, or is this elephant called Christianity beyond universal description?
Recently, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America proposed a ecumenical council of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox believers, Anglicans and Lutherans who would address a "global identity crisis."
Bishop Mark Hanson said his concern is that biblical literalism has given prominence to a belief in a "fundamentialist-millenialist-apocalypticist reading of Scripture."
Perhaps it's worthy of discussion, but the greater issue, I maintain, is the need for a clear understanding of what it means to be Christian. That's the true identity crisis.
If we can't define who we are, how do we expect others to rightly know or care?
So, here's what I propose:
Labor Day weekend ends the summer doldrums for most churches. In the coming weeks, programs and other activities will gear up again.
I suggest that high on a church's agenda should be a re-examination of a basic question: What do we believe? Note the question is not what do I believe, but what do we as a people of faith gathered together claim to profess?
(Lone rangers are fine in forests but not in churches.)
Within your congregation, ask the following:
• When others hear the name of our church or denomination, what immediately springs to their minds? (Don't be afraid to ask others.) Does it reflect who we truly are -- or think we are?
• What are we known for in our community? If we're generally unknown, what does that say about us? How can we extend ourselves beyond the walls of our church?
• Within our congregation, what are our beliefs? Which ones are essential to faith and which aren't?
• If others disagree with the definition, can we work in a loving manner to find common ground? Do attempts at unity have a breaking point?
Ultimately, we must commit -- as have Christians throughout the ages -- to some fundamentals of faith regarding the Scriptures, Jesus Christ and the body of believers called the church. Otherwise, the name Christian is a meaningless term.
While misconceptions and prejudices about Christians still abound, we who claim the name are obligated to speak as clearly and lovingly as we can about our beliefs.
After all, faith is looking through a glass darkly. And those of us who claim to know the elephant should never forget the poet's words:
"So, oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!"
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Reach Tom Schaefer at 268-6586 or by e-mail at tschaefer@wichitaeagle.com
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© 2005 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansas.com
Posted on Sat, Sep. 03, 2005
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/living/12547746.htm
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Re: How do you describe the 'elephant' called Christianity? (Score: 1)
 by Ozark on Wednesday, September 07 @ 18:23:38 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | Mike,
Interesting article. I have a thought I would like to get your opinion on. It seems, almost without exception, that the more we focus on doctrine, the more we divide. In some respects this very website is an example of this. Doctrine is a major focus here, and not surprisingly we have all kinds of “camps” springing up—Universalists, Calvinists, Arminians, those who believe the church is still an entity, those who don’t, and the list goes on and on. And most of us are preterists! Is division a forgone conclusion when we make doctrine our focus? Or is this just part of the modern paradigm that equates being a Christian more with what we believe than with what we do?
On the other hand, both you and I have been involved with groups where doctrine is not the focus but service or loving God and our neighbor, and the results are startlingly different. For instance, in my city I am involved in a group of ministers and laymen in ministry. Our sole focus is feeding the poor, helping those in need, and bringing unity to the local churches. I would give my right arm for any of those guy or gals even the guy who thinks you can lose your salvation.
I don’t think we should throw out doctrine because of the problems it causes. However, when perfect doctrine becomes a higher goal than love, are we just asking for trouble? What do you think?
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- by Virgil on Wednesday, September 07 @ 19:54:08 PDT
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