I have found that throughout my adult life I frequently have to explain that I was raised "in a bubble" (meaning that I was raised in a strictly Christian environment). Growing up I do not recall knowing a single soul who did not either attend my private Christian school or go to my church (or at the very furthest, a different church). There were remarkable benefits to this system of growing up. I was surrounded by like-minded folks and had a strong moral base. There were also a great many things that, for better or worse, I missed out on (like most movies, popular music, and a general sense of the real world).
Now, of course, if you have been reading my blog for any period of time you know that as soon as I turned 18, I ran from all of that at top speed. Recently, I was thinking of the story of Zacchaeus and the concept of living in the "Christian bubble". Jesus very openly spent time with some of the most despised people of his day. He ate with Zacchaeus (ancient-day IRS man and totally hated). He healed the daughter of a Roman centurion (ancient-day politician and equally hated). He hung out with beggars and prostitutes (no ancient-day translation necessary - we still have those and they are frequently looked down upon). These were clearly not the most beloved spiritual folk of the day; nope, those were the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. What time did Jesus reserve for them? Well he called them a den of thieves and messed up their temple in a righteous rage...... Not exactly sitting down for tea.
Jesus spent his time out among the masses of ordinary folks, those people going about their normal lives with normal problems. They were the people he focused his time and message on. And yet in the church today there is a disturbing trend. I see it come from many different walks of life, those who were raised in the church as well as those who come to faith later. The trend I refer to is that of deliberately choosing to isolate oneself in the Christian bubble.
The most common thread of thought that I hear among these folks is that the world is turning evil and they must protect themselves from it's deadly influence and those "of the world" in order not to sin. To which my first thought is, "Ummmm, the world has been "going evil" since the original sin but whatever." That said, the concept of protecting oneself from a sinful world and it's influences isn't necessarily bad in and of itself. For example, I choose not to watch horror movies because, frankly, they give me nightmares and I don't want those horrible thoughts in my head. Nothing wrong with that. The error is when people become so focused on self-protection that they isolate themselves from a world in need of God's grace. Self-protection can start with good intentions and quickly become a crutch that negates the power of God to help us live our Christian lives outside the bubble. If you must permanently isolate yourself from everything not "Christian" in order to maintain your faith then your faith is having cardiac arrest. You need resuscitation.
When Christians create a bubble, filled only with church goers and church functions, they are missing a key element of the Christian life. Bettering our faith requires not just Bible study and worship services but taking all the things that we learn during those activities and actually putting them into practice with those outside the church. Whenever I hear someone talk about the church functions they have going every night and all their other activities, it sounds a bit like bragging.......They sound a bit like the Pharisees. As James says, "So you see, it isn't just enough to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless" (James 2:17 NLT).
The Christian church cannot afford to turn into a giant religious entity that shrouds it's members from the rest of the world like some kind of secret society. Christianity is meant to be practiced out in the general population as a display of faith and life lived within God's grace. This doesn't mean that we condone sinful actions but it does mean that we are actually around to serve God's purpose in the midst of them.
I think that everyone, at some point, needs some time of spiritual retreat and/or isolation (Jesus took his time in the desert before starting his ministry). I think though that people linger there, settling in because it's way more comfortable to act Christian among Christians and say you are protecting yourself from sin when you are really keeping yourself from fulfilling God's purpose for you out in the world. Do not let fear keep you inside the bubble. Do not think you are more righteous for being in there. It's time to follow Christ's example and head out into the world. It's time to not turn your children's eyes away from those in need, those cries for help that don't appeal to your Christian sensibilities. Jesus came for them too. He died for them too. Do not be selfish enough to think that you are "above" them in any way. You are not. Put your faith into action and burst the bubble.
Now, of course, if you have been reading my blog for any period of time you know that as soon as I turned 18, I ran from all of that at top speed. Recently, I was thinking of the story of Zacchaeus and the concept of living in the "Christian bubble". Jesus very openly spent time with some of the most despised people of his day. He ate with Zacchaeus (ancient-day IRS man and totally hated). He healed the daughter of a Roman centurion (ancient-day politician and equally hated). He hung out with beggars and prostitutes (no ancient-day translation necessary - we still have those and they are frequently looked down upon). These were clearly not the most beloved spiritual folk of the day; nope, those were the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. What time did Jesus reserve for them? Well he called them a den of thieves and messed up their temple in a righteous rage...... Not exactly sitting down for tea.
Jesus spent his time out among the masses of ordinary folks, those people going about their normal lives with normal problems. They were the people he focused his time and message on. And yet in the church today there is a disturbing trend. I see it come from many different walks of life, those who were raised in the church as well as those who come to faith later. The trend I refer to is that of deliberately choosing to isolate oneself in the Christian bubble.
The most common thread of thought that I hear among these folks is that the world is turning evil and they must protect themselves from it's deadly influence and those "of the world" in order not to sin. To which my first thought is, "Ummmm, the world has been "going evil" since the original sin but whatever." That said, the concept of protecting oneself from a sinful world and it's influences isn't necessarily bad in and of itself. For example, I choose not to watch horror movies because, frankly, they give me nightmares and I don't want those horrible thoughts in my head. Nothing wrong with that. The error is when people become so focused on self-protection that they isolate themselves from a world in need of God's grace. Self-protection can start with good intentions and quickly become a crutch that negates the power of God to help us live our Christian lives outside the bubble. If you must permanently isolate yourself from everything not "Christian" in order to maintain your faith then your faith is having cardiac arrest. You need resuscitation.
When Christians create a bubble, filled only with church goers and church functions, they are missing a key element of the Christian life. Bettering our faith requires not just Bible study and worship services but taking all the things that we learn during those activities and actually putting them into practice with those outside the church. Whenever I hear someone talk about the church functions they have going every night and all their other activities, it sounds a bit like bragging.......They sound a bit like the Pharisees. As James says, "So you see, it isn't just enough to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless" (James 2:17 NLT).
The Christian church cannot afford to turn into a giant religious entity that shrouds it's members from the rest of the world like some kind of secret society. Christianity is meant to be practiced out in the general population as a display of faith and life lived within God's grace. This doesn't mean that we condone sinful actions but it does mean that we are actually around to serve God's purpose in the midst of them.
I think that everyone, at some point, needs some time of spiritual retreat and/or isolation (Jesus took his time in the desert before starting his ministry). I think though that people linger there, settling in because it's way more comfortable to act Christian among Christians and say you are protecting yourself from sin when you are really keeping yourself from fulfilling God's purpose for you out in the world. Do not let fear keep you inside the bubble. Do not think you are more righteous for being in there. It's time to follow Christ's example and head out into the world. It's time to not turn your children's eyes away from those in need, those cries for help that don't appeal to your Christian sensibilities. Jesus came for them too. He died for them too. Do not be selfish enough to think that you are "above" them in any way. You are not. Put your faith into action and burst the bubble.
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