Ok, so I’ve had a bit of a niggling issue of late.
I am annoyed by the call for ‘radical Christianity’. Let me explain why.
Nobody can define in a nice, succinct and actually useful way what radical is. It is just this feeling of living every day radically in tune with Christ and going wherever he calls us to go.
Problem one, that isn’t radical. That’s just Christianity.
People are looking towards the examples, biblical and otherwise, of radically Christians and wishing that they could emulate that faith and vision. Here comes problems number 2 and 3.
Problem 2, why are people trying to have the faith of someone else’s journey?
God’s calling for your life of faith is individual and unique- don’t undervalue your part and the piece God calls you for. And don’t think you are ‘better’ than being called to a ‘measly’ Christian in a ‘secular job’.
Sometimes I worry that this call for radical discipleship is either more about trying to make ourselves feel more of worth when we have worth anyway, or about thinking we are more than what we are and trying to show off how wonderfully spiritual we are.
Problem 3, I doubt that any of these example so called radical Christianity, or at least very few of them, woke up one day and said to themselves ‘I think I am going to start living like a radical Christian today!’. I think they probably did what felt completely natural as the course of there lives- ok, maybe natural isn’t the best word.
Let’s look at David for a second- he was called aside to be anointed to be the King of Israel after looking after some sheep. He then went off to the site of war- just to give his brothers lunch. Then he ended up killing a giant, probably not the most natural situation he faced everyday but he did it just the way he killed wolves. He didn’t wake up and think- ‘woah, today I’m gonna be as radical as possible, become King, kill a giant’- he lived his life willing to follow the call of God and use his natural God-given gifts. It was the ‘natural’ course of his life- because it was what his life was meant to be.
My point isn’t that people aren’t called to do unbelievable things, and it isn't that we don't need to have a renewed focus in getting to the heart of God. But, if I may be so bold as to say, I live everyday surrounded by parents that are incredible examples of Christianity- that some may say is radical. But my dad, he likes watching flog it and walking to tesco’s in the dark to read his paper at blooming 5.30 in the morning! My mum can’t work out what apostrophes are for and gets annoyed if rubbish is left on the coffee table. They aren’t radical people. They are just Christian people. Christianity is radical.
So how about I just try to be in relationship with God everyday and in everything and see where it gets me.
8 comments:
- At 12:33 AM Anonymous said...
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Becca, I think these are all very valid points. However, you say, 'It is just this feeling of living every day radically in tune with Christ and going wherever he calls us to go. Problem one, that isn’t radical. That’s just Christianity.' If that's the case, then I am not sure that I am living out Christianity as I should. Regardless of what you call it, radical or Christianity, the point remains, I find it so easy to get complacent and go humming along in life without a care in the world thinking 'isn't life wonderful' when I should be out in the world fighting for the Kingdom of God, sharing my faith, helping the hurting, the broken and the suffering.
I would agree that your parents live out the Christian call, and yet are normal human people aswell, but that doesn't also mean you can't call them radical!
If the problem is one of definition, then call it learning to live a Christian life if you will, but when I cry out for radical Christianity, I cry out for a willingness to step out and to be on the edge, to not be so caught up in the world that I lose sight of what its all about. Romans 12 in the message puts it well. I am all for the radical because anything other than radical means I wouldn't be Christlike.
I don't think being radical means that you can't also do things like washing the dishes and getting confused by apostrophes! But I do think it fights against apathy.
In other words, I think I agree with what you say about radical meaning to live in tune with God and going where he calls us to go, but my plea to be radical is simply my plea to actuallydo those things - At 9:06 AM Liz said...
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Yeay, brillinat blog...ang I love that your mum gets cross about the same thing that I do - gives me a real sence of Kudos ( JOKE!!)
- At 2:59 PM Becks said...
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Thanks Liz!
Kirst- I get your point and I do think that we agree with each other. I just think that we should be enforcing what Christianity actually is rather than creating this dualism of Christians and radical christians. I hope that makes sense. xxx - At 6:59 PM Anonymous said...
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Too right! It's like when people make a distinction between Christian's and 'Born again Christian's'. I agree, there should be no distinction between radical Christian's and Christian's.
- At 2:00 PM Liz said...
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Enforcing is rather a harsh word though, don't you think?
- At 5:18 PM Becks said...
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discipling people in? showing? Maybe enforcing does come across a bit harsh but I do think that its important xxx
- At 11:57 AM Liz said...
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You're right it is important and words are just words until they become real in actions.
Becs the Enforcer...has a radical ring about it, but if you are living that out, it's who you are, no effort.
Questions:
Does it HAVE to be an effort? What about the 'unforced rhythms of Grace'? - At 5:42 PM Becks said...
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I don't think I am living it out right and I do think it does take effort- but in a different way to people think.
FAITH IS NOT RESULTS DRIVEN
I think people are forgetting that. The results are symptomatic of those unforced rhythms of grace you were talking about. I think it takes effort emotionally- I think you have to make a point of praying when you can't be bothered, and reading scripture and asking God to help you control your temper- even though you quite like being able to snap. I think that is effort. But we shouldnt be forcing ourselves into boxes that we arent. I think we have to discern when what we are doing is really trying to be who we arent and when what we are doing is facing issues we have. I think its all about discernment and being willing to listen to those who can discern.
