People who would burn the physical church are people who have had the people of the church, of many churches, over and over and over, value the church building more than they value them. It's one thing to feel unseen, unheard and unwanted in the church. It's another to then hear that church worshiping its building, pastoral staff, and the church itself in a sick idolatry. C.S. Lewis described this thing that I guess I'm seeing in "The Four Loves." When he described friend-love, he described a love that always has to exclude something. If a church cultivates that kind of friend-love which always excludes someone (he says it so much better than I do), then perhaps it is not the world that will burn down such churches, but unbalanced christians who have been hurt and hurt and hurt and hurt.
Meeting in houses and tents, Chinas church flourished. Europe, when it built big cathedrals, lost its faith. This country is building bigger and bigger churches. Do you see our faith getting stronger, as our churches get bigger, or weaker?
I would never burn down my church. Burning down the church would set a bad example for my nieces and nephews. It would make me a weight that they had to carry for the rest of their lives, more than I already am. And besides, if I got caught I'd get sent to jail. I went to jail once. I was there for a couple days because I couldn't afford bail money. Jail, for me, was hell. It was noisy. I couldn't be alone. There were too many loud personalities in conflict. It was like living at home. I'd rather die.
3 comments:
Hi Carla,
Interesting thoughts and I read many today who consider themselves removed from their local Church, but I agree burning them won't help. ;-)
Thanks for the visit and for sharing your thoughts.
I've thought about removing this post, or at least changing it. I don't want to be disrespectful of people whose lives have been attacked, or to in any way justify the action that someone took, just because when I wrote this I was having a little problem with my church. My problems at church are my own problems. My psychologist and I are working to solve those problems. No matter how the church is or isn't, I do bring my own convoluted family history and junk into the situation. Sometimes I'm reasonable and rational, understanding what's going on. But, when I get hurt . . . All the intellectual understanding in the world just goes right out the window. And, the things that hurt me are sometimes unpredictable.
I wrote this "church burnings" post when I was hurting pretty bad. I didn't kill myself. I didn't try to kill myself. I didn't wind up in the hospital. I just wrote something a little inflammatory. I'm getting better. It's just so slow and hard.
I do think that sometimes the church doesn't receive constructive criticism well, always hiding behind the fact that we know the world isn't going to like us. The world will oppose the message of Christ, sure. Before we write off any and all criticism on that basis, though, we need to give the criticism some serious prayer and determined thought.
I agree Carla. None of us are above reproach and we all need to be willing hear and address the concerns of others. Love demands it.
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