Unfortunately, many people are turning against the Christian worldview. Some have good reason to. Professed Christians, like nearly everyone else, can be judgmental and legalistic. Of course, that’s in direct opposition to the Gospel. On the other hand, the faith is surging around the globe. It is said (and I believe) that the Gospel life flourishes best when it is a minority or subversive thing. Power breeds complacency and even corruption. There is no shortage of examples, regardless of the viewpoints of those in charge. Jesus’ life and message are completely counter-intuitive when you peer closely. From that vantage point, they are both extremely threatening and peculiarly compelling. The Gospel requires a shaking of the head to eradicate the cobwebs and sit up and pay attention. I’m daily amazed at its significance.
Which brings me to the reason for this post. You might remember the mass shooting in October of 2006 of 10 Amish school girls. And, the nearly unbelievable outpouring of grace and forgiveness that issued from the Amish community. The world shook its head at this display, trying to fathom what it meant. Was it real? How could this be? It was certainly not natural. Answer: Yes. There was a very good reason. And, yes.
And, then in June of 2015, another mass shooting. This time, in a church in Charleston, South Carolina. The same thing. Nine worshipping members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church slaughtered. The world looked on, first in horror and then in wonder as surviving and mourning church members and families displayed hearts of grace and forgiveness towards the murderer. Yes. For a very good reason. And, yes.
You may be aware about the vicious action taken recently on Palm Sunday against Egyptian Christians or the beheading of nearly two dozen Christians in Libya in February of 2015. I’m linking to a story about a television program in that part of the world, with the Muslim host trying to make sense of how these communities responded. I make no judgment here about Islam. The narrator could just have well been a practitioner of any of the world’s faith traditions. The point is, “How can this be?”
Yes, these responses to horror are real. As authentic as can be. They are a direct result of lives lived as Gospel-believers. And, no, it’s not natural. It’s supernatural. Grace is not natural. In a natural world given to “natural selection,” grace has no place. Yes, Gospel Christianity is absurd. I am reminded of this every day. The Gospel was never meant to make us feel safe in our beliefs and attitudes. It is designed to turn everything upside down and inside out. Why would we want to believe in such a thing? That’s absurd!
Yes, it is and, fortunately, it’s also true.
bradlichtman 