| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Ninure Saunders" |
| Date: |
06 May 2005 08:35:54 AM |
| Object: |
(~) Petrified Religion |
(~) Petrified Religion
Blumhardt Takes a Blowtorch to Self-Satisfied Christianity
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt
Excerpted from Action in Waiting.
Given the number of people who've been "saved," you'd think the world was
becoming a brighter place. It could be, too, if more people would stop
worrying about religion and lose themselves in service to God and each
other. People like Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt (1842-1919), the maverick
German pastor and religious socialist whose writings we share below.
Blumhardt's witness influenced theological giants like Dietrich Bonhoeffer
and Karl Barth, but his books (mostly collected sermons and devotions) can
hardly be characterized as theology they are too blunt, too earthy, too
real. Burning away the trappings of modern piety like so much chaff, his
"active expectation" of God's kingdom leads us away from ourselves and our
spiritual preoccupations, and toward our fellow human beings. Blumhardt's
Christ is not the bringer of a new religion, but the Saviour whose
humanity brings hope to the despondent, and whose hands reach down into
the darkest places.
Nowadays, unfortunately, many things are done with the idea that the more
spiritual and otherworldly we are, the better. But it is just the other
way round. The more we learn to seek truth and to act on it as far as
possible in the situation in which God has placed us, even if that be in
the dirt, the better it is. For the Saviour does not want to come as an
idea but as a reality, wherever people live and struggle (Matt. 18:20). It
is here that we must make way for him and how can we do this except by
acting in accordance with his nature? And his nature is simple, true, and
genuine.
Every person who is waiting for Jesus can receive a distinct impression of
what is right and good (Rom. 2:12-16). Perhaps he may feel that one or the
other habit he has cannot be pleasing to God. If he stops it and changes,
then he is making way for the one who comes. When our hearts are set on
this practical kind of waiting, God will surely guide us every step of the
way. In fact, all sincere followers of Jesus will be given so much
practical work to do that - if you will permit me to say so - they will
hardly have time for long devotions or for sitting in church (James 1:27).
Jesus has been called a founder of a new religion. But that is not God's
word to the world. His aim was never to give us a new religion in order
that we might live a bit more decently - in that case Moses and his law
would have sufficed.
With Jesus' simple command to the disciples the Saviour is saying, "Don't
make a religion out of me! That which I bring from God is not a religion,
for all religions are rigid. They don't want to move forward, they don't
intend to change. They set up shrines, they institute museums, they set up
councils, and because of all this they are a stumbling block to the
world." As a matter of fact - to be quite frank - our religions are a
hindrance not only to the world but to the history of humanity.
Nothing is more dangerous to the advancement of God's kingdom than
religion. But this is what Christianity has become. Do you not know that
it is possible to kill Christ with such Christianity! After all, what is
more important - Christianity or Christ? And I'll say even more: we can
kill Christ with the Bible! Which is greater: the Bible or Christ? Yes, we
can even kill Christ with our prayer. When we approach God with our
prayers full of self-love and self-satisfaction, when the aim of our
prayers is to make our world great, our prayers are in vain.
The Saviour will not allow himself to become petrified in religion. That
is why the Saviour told the story of the ten virgins, some of whom were
wise and others not (Matt. 25:1-13). With this, he says, "There are some
who make a religion out of me, a cozy haven, a state of bliss. It is the
others who will be the living Christians, always open to change, always
seeking something new, until the entire world stands there renewed."
Yes, we love the word of God spoken to humankind but if we truly love it,
we will understand that this word is much greater than the Bible. It
cannot be chained, written down as if set in cement. When God's word is
frozen, even the best Christians are able to justify their hate toward
their fellowmen, even killing them and vehemently separating themselves
from them.
Today there are Christians who believe that they will (after death or at
Jesus' return) fly with the Saviour to heaven and then laugh at those left
behind. I find it incomprehensible that those who call themselves devout
consider themselves better than others or exempt from God's judgement.
This kind of religion is false because it separates us from other human
beings. I will have nothing to do with it! Jesus entered right into the
human condition in all its ugliness. He united with people. He did not
separate himself from them.
Peace,
• Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
The Bible Site - help provide free scripture
http://www.thebiblesite.org
To send e-mail, remove nohate from address
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