Most of Christianity seems to be stuck in a ditch these days. You have those who focus on positive thinking and faith as the answer. Then there are those who say the Christian life is all about sacrifice, hardships and depriving ourselves of material possessions to show our dedication to God. Some Christians say that we need to know and participate in modern culture to be relevant to the world around us. Others are worried about being polluted by the world and seek to cocoon or avoid sinful influences. Some Christians talk about liberty and avoid anything that looks like rules or organization. These believers love to be led by the spirit even if it is an evil spirit doing the directing. Then there are the pious legalists who want to remain pure by keeping worldly influences and things an arms length away.
Some people preach a hard line on political issues such as abortion. Others say that the Christian right is destroying our ability to reach those we claim to care about. Some Christians embrace tradition. Others want to find the latest new thing.
A good Christian brother and co-worker, Jeff McBee, always tells me that we need to avoid the theological ditches and stay in the center of the road. That is a lot easier said than done. But I am discovering that it is possible. The best way to avoid a ditch is to hold tight to the center line (God's divine truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the life and words of Jesus). Instead of take our cues from the world or even Christian leaders, we have to probe for our own answers. We must know God and His ways for ourselves. We can't simply trust what the Religious Right says. We can't simply follow the warm fuzzy feelings of the liberal activists either.
God's priorities may not reflect what is important to any one group stuck in a ditch today. For example, I do not believe that gay marriage is a good thing. But I also question the importance placed on this issue by some "Christian" leaders. Consider the fact that there are a lot more verses in Scripture condemning wealth and focusing on the need to take care of the poor than there is on homosexuality. Yet, we don't see major attacks on materialism or the consumer mentality by Christian leaders like we do on political hot button issues, such as gay marriage. Some Christians say that the homosexual agenda is going to destroy the family when pornography is really causing much more damage to marriages than homosexuality ever could. Men refusing to lead their families is the real culprit not the liberal activist.
Please hear me. I am not condoning homosexuality. But I do believe that our focus within the Christian community has been misguided at times. We get swept up in political debates just like anybody else. The key is to realize the ditches and take steps to avoid them. This happens as we have people around us to hold us accountable. They help us see what we would not see on our own.
