I
grew up with a very black and white faith. As a Christian, there were certain
things that I would never do and other things that I must do. There were certain
things that I had to believe and other things that I had to reject. In many
ways, living with a black and white faith was very safe. I had my internal
checklist, which kept me well within the boundaries of orthodoxy. But there was
a down side to it as well. It created a certain amount of guilt when I strayed
into an area that was not clearly delineated in the Bible. Growing up in the
60’s, long hair, rock-n-roll, and fast dancing were the norm for young people.
All three of these things were added to the list of don’ts for a good Christian
kid. So the night I went to a dance at the junior high school as a part of the
AV team caused me many hours of guilt. You might chuckle at that now, but it
was serious to me then.
Growing
up in an independent, fundamental church, I was suspicious of, and even a
little afraid of, people who attended churches with a denominational label. To
me, they fell outside of my black and white world. Then I went to college.
Attending a Christian college, I was exposed to many kids who came from very
different church backgrounds than I did. I quickly discovered that most of them
had a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. We shared many of the same beliefs. Even
though they carried a denominational label, they really lived out their faith.
My black and white world began to take on a few shades of gray.
An
experience that stands out for me can serve to illustrate my point. I became
friends with a young man who had been in the Army, and had returned to go to
college on the GI bill. He was a couple of years older than me, although he was
in my class. He was serious about his studies and about his faith. While he had
served in the Army, he had picked up the habit of smoking. Definitely on my “Christians
don’t do this” list. It was against the rules at my college to smoke, but this
young man was hooked. One day he asked me to do him a favor. He asked if I
would drive his car out into the country so he could smoke. I did, and a
friendship developed. I still think smoking is an unwise choice, but I learned
that it is possible for a person to be a genuine Christian and struggle with
this habit.
Several
years later, I attended seminary. Many of my professors intentionally exposed
me to a wide spectrum of theological thinking. Much of it was orthodox. Some of
it was liberal. They did this intentionally to help us understand the complex world
of theological thought. I found it stretching, refreshing and challenging.
Their goal was not to make me a liberal; the opposite was true. Their goal was
to prepare me for the world I was about to step into. One day, my roommate came
home from class, obviously frustrated. “Why don’t they just tell us the truth,”
he blurted out. He didn’t want to struggle with the breadth of theological
thinking. He wanted black and white answers.
Recently,
I have been reading a book that, from my perspective, comes across with a very
black and white theology. The author aggressively and dogmatically makes his
case that all Christians should do certain things. He calls into question the
faith of those who don’t fall neatly within his black and white boundaries. I
want to be clear that I do not disagree with many of the principles that he
sets forth. He is right to challenge us to take our faith more seriously and
stop coasting in our comfortable “church” experience. What I struggle with is
that there is no gray in his message. For
one who grew up with a black and white theology, his message is simplistic and
judgmental. As I read, I feel some of the old, unrealistic guilt of my past
creeping back in.
There
are some fundamental truths about the Christian faith that are non-negotiable.
God created the heavens and the earth. Man was created in the image of God. Sin
came into the world through Adam and Eve, and has infected all of the human
race. Jesus came to redeem a lost world. Jesus alone is the answer to our sin. Salvation
comes through faith in Jesus alone. The Bible is God’s word; to be our
authoritative guide for faith and practice. These are foundational.
But,
I have learned over the past 30 years that, when it comes to living out our
faith, there are many valid ways to do that. Unity in Christ does not mean that
we all look alike, sound alike and act alike. There is no such thing as a
cookie cutter Christian. God created each one of us with a specific personality
and a specific set of gifts and talents. He wants to use this diversity to reach
a very diverse world. Some Christians operate on the front lines, while others
function more quietly in a supporting role. As Paul wrote, some plant, some
water, but God gives the increase. Each of us has a part to play, and we will
be held accountable for that. But we will not all play the same part.
I
admire enthusiasm and passion, but it must be tempered to be effective.
Enthusiasm without solid truth does damage to people. Truth without passion is dead.
Jesus’ life was characterized by passion and compassion, by truth and grace, by
confrontation and extravagant love.
There
still is much black and white in my Christian life, which causes me to struggle
and examine my faith. I am learning that the grace of God demands that I accept
a little gray in the way other believers live out their faith. I am also
learning to take the Gospel more seriously and myself less seriously.
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you
who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also
may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill
the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride
in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should
carry his own load.
Galatians 6:1-5
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