Eyes to See
Do we have the "eyes to see" how God is calling Jesus' followers to a new future? (Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash)
April 3, 2024
Even in my most conservative phase of Christian faith I never believed the circulating mantra, “Conservative churches are growing because they preach the Gospel, and liberal churches are declining because they don’t.” I didn’t believe it for one reason: the facts never supported the allegation. I knew firsthand conservative churches that were declining and liberal ones that were growing.
Somewhat later, I noticed a shift in the mantra, away from congregationalism to denominationalism. The revised mantra was, “Conservative denominations are growing because they preach the Gospel, and liberal ones are declining because they do not.” I did not believe the updated declaration, but the bulked statistics sustained the illusion.
But now, even the denominational mantra has collapsed. The “unsinkable” paragons of conservative Christianity are losing members. We can now see the truth which was there all along: conservative/liberal have little, if anything, to do with Christianity’s decline. Even the orthodox/heterodox dog “won’t hunt” anymore. These painful realities can be labor pains unto new birth…if we have the courage to be honest, the willingness to be humble, and the disposition to be hopeful.
We are living in a time of new Awakening. The question is whether the Church will be part of it, or be left behind because some chose to put patches on old wineskins rather than pour God’s wine into new ones. It’s what Jesus called “having eyes to see” (Mark 8:18), keeping Isaiah’s question about God’s new thing on the table, “do you see it?” (Isaiah 43:19). Almost every day I read, watch, and !listen to those who do see it (some whom I know personally) and are engaged in actions that restore the Bride of Christ to her intended beauty. Here are some of the things they see that take us in the right direction.
First, they understand that Christianity is a faith movement, more than an ecclesial institution. They are seeking to renew the Church as a Body, not a building–as subversives (Rohr, “on the edge of the inside”) not revolutionaries (e.g. a “scorched-earth” strategy). The extent to which we recover a movement mentality (and the ministries that express it), the more the Church will be restored to its intended nature and mission.
Second, they are integrating theology and sociology. In the previous paragraph I used the words “more than” to describe the unitive consciousness required if the Church is to be part of the new Awakening. Renewalists focus on the wine, but always keeping in mind that there must be wineskins to hold it. Renewalists are not anti-institutional; they are transinstitutional. They realize that the Christ/culture dynamic is ever in play.
Third, they recognize the priority of locality, locating Christian community in both traditional and non-traditional space, including cyberspace. One of the things I see in this work is Jesus’ commendation of the sacredness of littleness and the greatness of servanthood, particularly to “the least of these,” the anawim, the “othered,” and otherwise oppressed. Renewalists provide cups of cold water, not car washes.
Fourth, they practice deep ecumenism. While maintaining a specific identity, they use it as a gift to be shared, not as wall to be built. Sociologically, they do it to avoid redundancy and overlap—two things renewal cannot abide. Theologically, they cultivate interdenominational, interfaith, intercultural, and international relationships because they believe “Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11 NRSVue).
Fifth, they live among and listen to the critics. “Religiously unaffiliated” people are fellow human beings in Beloved Community. “Nones and Dones” are prophets telling us things about ourselves we must hear. The Church thrives to the extent it is willing to be challenged and held accountable. Our strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:8), not hubris.
All of this is done in love and with courage. Love is incarnate through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and courage is expressed in nonviolently resisting the principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12) who build empires and preserve sacred cows. As they do this, those with eyes to see live joyfully and in the confidence that today (as in times past) justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24), and that the Church will be one means for the overcoming of evil with good (Romans 12:21).