Why Christianity Deserves a Fresh Look
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Christianity?”
A vague grouping of all the Christian denominations? A particular Christian religion, such Lutheranism or Catholicism? An image of old, judgmental people smug in their certainties, who have all kinds of biases and antipathy toward people who are unlike them?
I hope it’s not the later image because that would merely be a stereotype. There may be a disproportionate number of older people among people who profess Christianity, but in my experience, they’re not any more judgmental, smug or biased than anyone else. In fact, I believe they are less so.
So what of the other images? When we think of these “groups,” we may think of why many people aren’t attracted to religion. We think of the institutions, of their political and social views, their religious services, which we may see as boring. Or we think of the clergy, which in the case of Catholicism, may include the publicity given to abuser priests (though the vast majority of priests are dedicated and hard-working).
Take Another Look
But are these what really constitute religion? I don’t think so, and I hope readers who may have given up on Christianity will take another look.
Out of the gate I should say that to write about Christianity doesn’t imply indifference or hostility toward non-Christian faiths. And I speak from the viewpoint of a Catholic, which doesn’t imply antipathy toward other Christian religions.
Though I don’t believe “all religions are the same,” the kernel of Catholicism is shared by many other Christian faiths. In my opinion, it involves love of God and neighbor, the determination to take Jesus and his message seriously, and a sense of community, including communal worship as a way to God.
It’s Written Down
A good description of what it means to be a Christian, in fact, is written down. It’s an easy-to-read “book” in the Bible called the Acts of the Apostles.
I’ve often thought that the Acts of the Apostles could be the starter biblical book for people who are turned off by the Bible. Many people are as likely to read the Bible as they are to read Shakespeare. It may be considered a “classic,” but who has time to read something written centuries ago with little relevance to my life?
Even a quick read of the Acts of the Apostles will dissuade you from that view. The second of a two-part work said to be written by the physician/disciple Luke, Acts is in the form of a letter, written in a fresh and simple way, to a guy named Theophilus. It relates the beginnings of the Christian faith during some 30 years following Jesus’ death. The first part is the famous Gospel of Luke.
Among other things, Acts details the progress and growth of Christianity along with the problems it overcame. Among them was the question of the new faith’s universality. Specifically, Acts shows how early Christians determined that Christianity would be more than a Jewish sect.
Overcoming Hostile Crowds
And if you love travelogues, this is the biblical book for you. The Acts chronicles the journeys of the Apostle Paul, in which he overcame hostile crowds, jail, beatings, shipwreck and the attempt to make him a god.
Acts shows what it meant then, and what it means now, to be a Christian. It wasn’t principally about an institution or its clergy, though it included those, but about how love of God and neighbor played out in the everyday lives of Christians.
Ignatius Hunt, my seminary Scripture professor – one of the two best teachers I ever had – wrote in his classic little book, Understanding the Bible, about the passion and energy of the early Christian community as described in Acts.
“These enthusiastic Christians could not keep silent about their new-found faith,” he wrote. “They loved it, built their lives on it, and had no intention of keeping it to themselves….”
