By the time I finished delivering the words posted below, I found that another idea was forming. "Strange Way" continued to reverberate around my head, and I could see Jesus and "the Church" (not represented by anyone in particular - just men in suits) meeting in an office somewhere to discuss an advertising pitch.
"You propose to get yourself put on a cross...You're going to DIE...and that's designed to demonstrate to humanity the reality of God's love? It's a strange way for sure" , one of the Church guys said. "Ridiculous. NOBODY would buy it. Our ideas are so much better.. Your PRODUCT is great. But your pitch? Hopeless"
So they went off in a huddle, and began to draft a plan...a complex plan that involved a comms team, a strategic development fund and a whole heap more besides. There was nothing much wrong with it in itself, everyone involved was dripped with the same genuine desire to maximise sales of the "product"...but somehow, things didn't quite stack up as they'd hoped. It wasn't always that easy to see what the plan was actually FOR.
The picture blurred, vanished for a moment and then clarity returned.
The same protagonists, sitting around an office table, but now the roles have been reversed.The Christian Church plc is pitching to Jesus, offering its marketing strategy and the whole suite of supporting products. And Jesus is nodding, smiling, gently affirming the time and energy they've put into their pitch.
"I can see what you're trying to do - but how does all that growth agenda, that emphasis your strange definitions of success, actually point to the PRODUCT? We are all about self-giving love, right? And your focus is more, bigger, better churches. I mean, I love the idea of communities gathering to learn together and practice that love. That's inspired.I know how hard it is for humanity to really grasp it on their own. I'm just not sure that they're going to understand the self-emptying bit if you keep on trying to make those churches you're so keen on bigger. It looks as if you actually believe that more is better. I mean, I know that's not what you are really saying - but it's so easy for core messaging to get lost if you're not careful. If I were you, I'd just draw a line under all that...I know it represents a LOT of work for many people - and I do appreciate that, and the sincerity of their approach - but it wasn't what I was expecting, honestly. I don't think it's the right place to start..."
Of course, the pictures are only in my head...and we AREN'T at the start. I'm pretty certain, though, that the dialogue, were it to take place, would run rather along those lines. From a human perspective, the way of the cross is emphatically NOT where we'd start. And, when we look at the Church, its hard not to imagine Jesus saying quietly "If I were you, I wouldn't start from here. I didn't, you see".
But we ARE where we are - with all those layers of loving, well-meaning complexity, and a whole heap of other stuff, some of which feels anything but loving..And because the institution is what it is, there's no way out which won't hurt many people...
It's a huge dilemma - and I'm uncomfortable to even find myself articulating it, as a paid-up beneficiary of the system as it is, and most especially as I have absolutely no solution to offer. But the better part of me, the part that is fired up during Advent by the Kingdom prophecies and wants to stand on tip-toe to see the world of the Magnificat breaking in, longs so deeply for the Church to be famous for the way in which it lives out self-giving love, no matter what that might cost.
As to whether I'd have the courage to to go there, who knows. As Martyn says, it's a strange way...
No comments:
Post a Comment