Several months ago I drove to western Pennsylvania with my
two daughters for a family reunion. We spent several days near the Ohio
border. There was plenty to eat and drink as we progressed through a
delightful three-day weekend. But perhaps more memorable were some of my
conversations with other guests.
In particular, I had a long chat with my cousin Peter whom I
had not seen for 30 years. He is a few years younger than me, and works in some
capacity as a medical researcher.
At one point, I remarked to Peter how beautiful the little
church was that I had passed on my way to that night's family gathering.
Peter agreed, but added that as he saw religious faith, it was not about
beautiful buildings and ritual ---- it was about strict adherence to some basic
Gospel principles. He explained that he was an evangelical Christian, and
to him salvation by faith was all about the sin-atoning death of Jesus Christ,
which he had come to believe in through personal conversion, meaning that he
had believed that his life needed to be changed. Equally important to
him, he said, was the authority of Scripture, and the importance of sharing the
Christian message, as contrasted with mere ritual.
At that point, I had to sit down. Peter was a bit
wound up now, so I thought I had better ask him some questions about
evangelical Christianity. He told me that "evangelicals" do not
form a distinct denomination ----- it is an umbrella term applicable in varying
degrees across many Protestant denominations.
Peter explained that American evangelism has had two core
convictions: (1.) that a personal encounter with the risen Christ is
necessary for our salvation ---- the change in our lives that leads us to reject
sin for a corresponding personal holiness in life. 2.) that Scripture offersa
trustworthy guide to God's will for mankind. All evangelicals believe in
biblical inspiration, he said, though they disagree over how this inspiration
should be defined. Peter said many evangelicals believe in biblical
inerrancy, while other evangelicals believe in biblical infallibility.
Peter told me that ever since American evangelism broke with
the mainline Protestant
churches about 100 years ago, the hallmark of evangelical
theology was a vision of modern society as a sinking ship, sliding toward
depravity and sin. He said that for evangelicals, the call to the church
alter was the only life raft ---- the chance to accept Jesus Christ, thus
rebirth and salvation.
I was glad he had brought our conversation back to the
centrality of Jesus Christ. So, I asked him what he meant by "a
personal encounter with the risen Christ"? Did Jesus appear to Peter
in a dream, was there a distinct voice in the darkness of night, or did
something happen on a mountain top? How did he know that there had been a
"personal encounter" with the risen Christ, in his life?
Peter said he had read the Gospels over and over, so he
already had an intellectual understanding about Jesus Christ, even though it
left some questions unanswered. But at some point, he said, he had begun
to feel an emotional attachment to Jesus. He continued: "This
analogy is quite simplistic, but it was a bit like my courtship with the girl I
eventually married. When we were dating, I learned much about her
interests, friends and life experiences. She learned many factual things
about me. At some point I began to have feelings for her, as well as
factual knowledge. On an emotional level we began to have sort of a
'personal encounter'. I thought about her a lot, even when we were not
together."
"I continued to have some of my old impulses and appetites,"
Peter continued, "but I could see myself moving closer to her
impulses and her way of seeing the world. Then, whenever we were
together, we really felt close. I think a 'personal encounter' with Jesus
is somewhat like that. It is a process over time. When people say
they have been "born again," I believe that they are simply saying
that they have now progressed to the point in a long-term process where they know
they are in love with each other. And my 'personal encounter' with Jesus Christ
was like that."
"These days," said Peter, "many younger
evangelicals take a less fatalistic view. For them, the 'born again'
experience of accepting Jesus is just the beginning. What follows,"
he said, "is the long-term process of 'spiritual formation' that involves
applying the teachings of Jesus in the here and now. Modern evangelicals
do not see society as a dying ship. They talk more about the biblical
imperative to repair the ship by contributing to the betterment of their
communities and the world."
Peter noted that modern evangelicals support traditional
charities, but also public policies that address health care, racial
inequality, poverty and the environment. Beginning in the 1970's, he said,
emphasis seems to have shifted from just winning souls, to also saving bodies
---- evangelical mission became as much about making the world a better place
as it was about populating heaven.
Peter went on to say, "We shouldn't allow child to live
under a bridge or in the back seat of a car. We shouldn't be satisfied if
elderly people are being abused or neglected, even though they are
living in a nursing home." Peter, the evangelist, really resonated
with me when he said, "You can't just say 'respect life' and mean it
exclusively for unborn babies."
Quoting evangelical pastor Rick Warren, Peter suggested that
if more Christians worked to alleviate needs in their local communities, the
church would become known more for the love it shows, than for what it is
against.
At the end of the evening, I thanked cousin Peter for
sharing so frankly his approach to faith. At first I had been a little
overwhelmed, but Peter had left me with much to think about. I especially
remember his closing comment about today's evangelicals: "People in
my age group are much more attracted to participatory theology," he
had said, "and are very resistant to being told what to do or think."
As my daughters and I drove back to New Jersey the next day,
I recalled my conversation with Peter and wondered ---- are there not some members
of CPC who would be very happy embracing some of the modern evangelical
theology? Perhaps I am one of them!
________________________________________________________________________
These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage some personal spiritual
growth this fall at CPC.
________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment