CRN.Info and Analysis

This morning, a story I’ve read a number of times came to mind:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

As I thought over this particular story, I remembered what my Jewish Christian friends stress, as well - that “inherit eternal life” is not only a future state, but a state that begins now, in this world, and continues on past death.  As such, there are portions of ‘eternal life’ which apply to this worlds which are then perfected in the next, as part of the kingdom of God.

In this story (and others), we see Jesus affirming the two overriding themes, the greatest commandments, from which all other Torah comes.

Unfortunately, many Christians - of all stripes, be it Reformed, Catholic, Emerging, Evangelical, Emergent, etc. - read these two commands and then supply their own definition of ‘love’ to them.

The new definitions:

Love your God: Determine what it means for you to obey God, based heavily on tradition or your own social mores and - possibly - the Bible (insofar as the Ten Commandments are concerned), and then expect everyone else to “obey God” based on your definition.  If they don’t, they are somewhere between mistaken and apostate.  Additionally, to love God means to know exactly how He works and does not work and to know all the ‘Christianese’ terms which define these workings, along with all the right soteriology, and to then expect everyone else to understand God exactly the way you do.  If they don’t, they are somewhere between mistaken and apostate.

Love your Neighbor: Step 1: If your ‘neighbor’ is somewhere between mistaken and apostate (see “Love your God”), your first and foremost duty is to make them see the error of their ways, and if they do not, to warn everybody else that they are somewhere between mistaken and apostate, and by all means mock them and distort anything/everything that makes them mistaken or apostate in your eyes.  Step 2: If they are still around after Step 1, and if they are in need, it might be a nice thing to do to help them out.

In line with these modern definitions of “love”, we now have an artist who has decided to Photoshop “motivational posters” dealing with emerging Christians.  Unfortunately, whether humorous or not, these posters serve to do nothing but create strawmen out of serious issues for discussion and openly ridicule and mock other Christians, and give a perfect example of one wasting talents given by God for an ungodly purpose. 

(Personally, I think that despair.com, one of my favorite sites for gifts, has a much better sense of art, flair and humor containing a bit more truth, as well.  It appears that the ODM Photoshopper’s “creativity” was also pulled from depair.com.  Compare this to the original.  Also, lest any ‘emerging’ folks’ heads get too big on the part of mockery, let’s not forget the Christian vs. Christ-follower videos…)

I’ve already had someone ask me if I’d thought of doing something similar for the Totally Reformed (TR) crowd, and - to be completely honest - the thought did cross my mind.  Not only that, but I could almost hear some emerging/emergent folks rushing to their keyboards to head to BigHugeLabs or Photoshop to do something similar.

This post is a plea for them - and anyone else considering it - to STOP and step away from the keyboard and remember Jesus’ teaching.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

So, in short, let’s not return crassness for those who have already decided to be crass and unloving and un-Christlike and, instead, avoid doing these same sorts of things.  ‘

Instead, let’s find a creative way to accept and affirm that Christ exists in both Reformed and Emerging (and Evangelical) traditions, and that each has enough logs in its own eye to address before mocking those in the other’s.  Instead, let’s find a way to love, even if love is not returned. 

Instead, let’s find a way to say ‘Grace to you’ and actually mean it.