Givitaway, givitaway, givitaway now
I'm torn, as I often am when it comes to Christianity and what it means to be a Christian.
As I was reading this Washington Post article today http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063001525.html, I found myself once again split between what it means to be an authentic believer and a believer taking on an air of religiosity, rejecting bona fide acts of charity in the name of Christ simply because they're not done in the way I think they should be.
As I was reading the article, I had the distinct feeling that there is something vaguely wrong with the brand of Christianity it was selling, while at the same time I was sort of chastising myself for ranking on people who just seem to want to do something good in their community.
I couldn't quite put my finger on why I found the article somewhat unappetizing until I got to the last paragraph, in which a woman who had just gotten $10 of free gas in the name of God said that she would be visiting the church that was offering the incentive.
And that's when it hit me that it seemed like a cheap (though not in monetary terms since the "Soul Factory" handed out four grand in free gas) advertising ploy to bring people to church. It seems to me that if you have to give stuff away to get people to come to church and to get them acquainted with God then you're not letting God speak for himself. It almost seems like you're saying that God's love and mercy and forgiveness aren't enough. How about three gallons of free gas to go with that mercy? Even Christ didn't just give it away, though it was free to anyone who wanted it. He told followers to count the cost before they decided to commit to him. You don't just quit your job to buy a yacht and cruise around the world for a year. You count the cost - how will this effect my family, my finances, the rest of my life? And at the same time you don't go buy a yacht and then decide half way through your trip that sailing the globe just isn't for you. You decide before you buy the boat if sailing is really what you love.
I also couldn't help but wonder while reading the article how giving away three gallons of gas to anyone who wants it is an act of authentic charity? Would it not be more of an act of charity to identify families in the community who have to choose between groceries or putting gas in the car to get to work to buy the groceries and the gas? How much more would that $4,000 in gas have helped them?
And what about doing our acts of kindness in public for all to see? But maybe the accolades of others are reward enough - I know I often get caught in that vice.
But then come thoughts that I'm simply being pharisaical. I thought to myself, "You don't know how that little bit of gas in the name of Jesus may have truly touched someone's heart so that they will come to know Christ in that authentic way."
But I still have to wonder if God really needs all the free advertising.
As I was reading this Washington Post article today http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063001525.html, I found myself once again split between what it means to be an authentic believer and a believer taking on an air of religiosity, rejecting bona fide acts of charity in the name of Christ simply because they're not done in the way I think they should be.
As I was reading the article, I had the distinct feeling that there is something vaguely wrong with the brand of Christianity it was selling, while at the same time I was sort of chastising myself for ranking on people who just seem to want to do something good in their community.
I couldn't quite put my finger on why I found the article somewhat unappetizing until I got to the last paragraph, in which a woman who had just gotten $10 of free gas in the name of God said that she would be visiting the church that was offering the incentive.
And that's when it hit me that it seemed like a cheap (though not in monetary terms since the "Soul Factory" handed out four grand in free gas) advertising ploy to bring people to church. It seems to me that if you have to give stuff away to get people to come to church and to get them acquainted with God then you're not letting God speak for himself. It almost seems like you're saying that God's love and mercy and forgiveness aren't enough. How about three gallons of free gas to go with that mercy? Even Christ didn't just give it away, though it was free to anyone who wanted it. He told followers to count the cost before they decided to commit to him. You don't just quit your job to buy a yacht and cruise around the world for a year. You count the cost - how will this effect my family, my finances, the rest of my life? And at the same time you don't go buy a yacht and then decide half way through your trip that sailing the globe just isn't for you. You decide before you buy the boat if sailing is really what you love.
I also couldn't help but wonder while reading the article how giving away three gallons of gas to anyone who wants it is an act of authentic charity? Would it not be more of an act of charity to identify families in the community who have to choose between groceries or putting gas in the car to get to work to buy the groceries and the gas? How much more would that $4,000 in gas have helped them?
And what about doing our acts of kindness in public for all to see? But maybe the accolades of others are reward enough - I know I often get caught in that vice.
But then come thoughts that I'm simply being pharisaical. I thought to myself, "You don't know how that little bit of gas in the name of Jesus may have truly touched someone's heart so that they will come to know Christ in that authentic way."
But I still have to wonder if God really needs all the free advertising.
posted by Jeno at
3:42 PM
3 Comments:
I agree. God speaks for himself all around us. If someone cannot see that, than their focus is in the wrong place. Extreme times call for extreme measures and if it is done in the name of Jesus, who am I to judge it. That is his job. Whether it is a drink of water or free gas. Meet the need.
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Anonymous, at 8:32 AM
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Anonymous, at 2:43 PM
Dostoyevski's Grand Inquisitor charged Jesus with blowing it when he declined to turn the stones into bread. "You could have had the masses following you if you had offered them bread." Bread... Gas... Evidently Jesus had something else in mind.
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Anonymous, at 3:40 PM
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