Oh, they had to get me started. Which is a good thing, considering how long this blog’s been dark.
I’ve mentioned before that my Christian faith is more monastic than evangelical. There are several reasons for this, but an incident over the weekend illustrated why I honestly have no choice regarding how that is.
I recently left a Christian debate group on Facebook after reading comments to a response of mine in which I disagreed that one had to go to church to be a Christian. Each and every one of these smooth-brains went out of their way to prove my point, that it’s always more about cliques and alpha dogs and alpha cows vying for dominance than learning and living the Word. For their part, not one bit of Scripture was cited, save for a last-dash allusion to a “command” in Hebrews. I might look it up later.
I should be laughing, but it’s so depressing watching history repeat itself. This posturing and pomposity, among other things, is why I cursed God and quit my faith in 1980 and why so many today won’t even bother. As I tell people now, if you want to get to know God, do what Christ commanded in Matthew 6:5-7 and go into your closet, or something like it. Alone. No one needs to know you’re even doing this. Open your heart to God and pray. Alone. Read the Bible. Alone.
Christianity is a one-on-one relationship, with an open book to go by—DO NOT waste your time asking questions of glad-handing, two-faced gasbags and people more concerned about what they’re bringing to the latest fundraiser than doing right before God. These people just want a name to pad out their rolls and your money in the plate. (Minister’s golf clubs ain’t payin’ for themselves; you do want to hear his latest golfing jokes next sermon, don’t you?) (I actually suffered through stuff like this at Forest Lake Presbyterian in Columbia, SC, back in the day. Some of the worst kids in my school were the best Christians there, too. Verily, they hath their reward.)
Aside from all of that, it drains your energy and demoralizes you. Besides, as spiritual testing goes, most of us have should have absorbed that lesson by now. It’s one of the oldest tests there is. John the Baptist’s idea of living alone in the wilderness and eating honey and locusts is a most sensible alternative.
That’s right, John the Baptist didn’t go to church, either. I wish I’d thought of that earlier. As much as I hate it when this happens it’s probably just as well. Nobody was changing anyone’s hearts or minds on that Facebook page. It was useless, fruitless fighting, with nothing worth winning and everyone’s time lost.
If you’re reading this, though, I have good news: you can get any translation of the Bible you want online. You have access to the commentary of serious people like C.S. Lewis and others who actually dedicated their lives to the Word as opposed to building a local following of simpering minions. If you have found a church you’re comfortable in, great! (Read that again. Like liberals, these clowns I was mixing it up with overlooked all nuance in my position and focused on building a straw man they could burn. Don’t be that clown.) Otherwise, I’d say avoid churches—they’re mostly just businesses doing business—and if you need a fellow Christian, find one who doesn’t make a scene of it.
Yeah, I know, good luck with that. If you read the Book, though, you’ll note Christ took a very dim view of virtue signalers and loudmouth showboats. I probably wouldn’t even talk to me. However, I do believe you’ll find more monks and hermits in Heaven than you would church youth group leaders or fundraiser chairs. Pray on that yourself; I shouldn’t have to explain this. Pray on everything any human, myself included, speaks at you regarding the conduct of your walk with God. I shouldn’t have to explain that, either.
You don’t need a shaman or a witch-doctor, let alone some guy in a robe with a gilt-edge scarf, or some other guy in a $5,000 business suit to bring you to God. The only Intercessor you need is Christ Jesus, the Only Son of God Who suffered and died to bring us home. None get to the Father but through Him. Not that guy or that guy, and certainly not me. Full stop.
Comments