WHAT IN THE WORLD #1: ROARING ISLAMBS

This is not a rant. A rant is an often pointless show of hostility/frustration - a temper tantrum without direction. This is going somewhere...I think.



Did you know that the phrase "in the world but not of it" is rooted in Islam (Sufism) and not Christianity and isn't found word for word in the Christian scriptures?

Of course that doesn't mean that it can't contain some truth. But I've been thinking a lot about this little phrase for a long time now and I'm increasingly uncomfortable with using it and adopting it as Christian doctrine. It's at least worth taking a closer look isn't it?

My concern started when I began thinking about where I am and where "the world" is. This saying assumes we religious people (followers of Jesus, Buddha,Yaweh, Muhammad, the Haley-Bop comet) can be someplace other than "the world" and insinuates that "the world" is somewhere "out there."

FASHIONABLE FAITH...
So when this cliche started gaining popularity, while baby boomers were mellowing out to The Doors, a generation of well-intentioned and compassionate Christians began drafting maps to get "out there" and hatching grand schemes to "engage the world." Many of these roaring lambs (as they were later dubbed) decided the best strategy for getting to "the world" was to draw "the world" to them. The best way to spread the Good News - they thought - was to become the best, most contemporary, most "relevant", smartest, richest, most successful and intelligent-lighting savvy people they could be. Surely then "the world" (non-Christians segregated from the church somewhere) would be attracted to the Christian faith. And man - these boomers must have thought - our way will be much faster than what our parents and grandparents tried too. We'll be "intentional", "sensitive" and impossible to ignore. Why wouldn't the "pre-Christian" (as some called them) come join us. The converts won't trickle in, they'll pour in! - they mused - If we spin this whole religion thing right God's market share will soar, we'll have the coolest churches ever and then we'll create conferences to teach our kids and our kids' kids how to be the most "emergent", most "relevant", smartest, richest, most successful candle burning people they can be for the purpose of coaxing "the world" into Heaven.

Then, hundreds of guys went to seminary and then to the mall to buy Dockers and other casual attire. Soon Mega Churches resembling those malls outfitted with Jumbotrons for attracting the bored, day cares for attracting the busy and materialistic, and coffee shops for attracting the hip and addicted were erected all over the Southeast. Guys called "lead worshipers" or "Christian artists" grew goatees, grabbed guitars and did their best impersonations of musicians pagans pay to see. Then Christian record labels, film studios, magazines, book publishers, jugglers, magicians, radio stations, gyms, daycares, wrestling federations, newspapers, phonebooks, landscapers, car dealers, universities, authors, politicians, moving companies, fast-food chains, fashion houses, directors, clubs, skateparks, web hosts, TV shows, airlines, video games, cartoons and web sites sprang suddenly sprang up all over - creating a sort of Jesusland stocked with "Christian" doubles of "the world's" most popular amusements and industries. All because religious people now believed "the world" was somewhere "out there" (or up there) waiting to be "reached" by being impressed by people of faith. "The world" was treated as a place to be saved by Christian power and influence. The Kingdom would come most quickly - it was thought - when the faithful, one by one, reached the pinnacle of success as defined by "the world." Only competing with "the world" can transform the church into the kind of people "the world" likes and admires and wants to be. If we could stand on top of the world - the boomers thought - "the world" would be forced to stand with us, to take notice and give their lives to Jesus Christ.

And still today I'm fighting to overcome this way of thinking ingrained in me, this belief that to "change the world" I must climb the highest point in my "Christian" field so that more people can see my Jesus flag. If I can just impress and lure more non-Christians into my church or my shows with what a great guy I am or by promoting the many services God Inc. has to offer them then - Switcheroo!! - I'll be able to focus "the world's" attention on Jesus. But "the world" isn't "out there" waiting for us/me to become more appealing or excellent so that it has good reason to pay us a visit - is it?

To be continued...someday.

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