Selective violence

Jesus was pretty violent.

When was the last time your pastor drove people out of church with a whip (John 2)? Or said anything along the lines of: "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" (Matthew 23:33)? Yep, in terms of non-violent communication, Jesus really missed the mark sometimes.

Please notice two attributes of Jesus' violence.

His anger was centred around the hypocrisy of the Pharisees ("Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!" is repeated six times in Matthew 23).

It is contact anger - Jesus is engaging with the people he's angry with - not withdrawing (as mentioned by Jim McNeish at a recent daybreak day). Jesus says 'you hypocrites,' rather than 'those hypocrites.' He wasn't telling people about the Pharisees and how bad they were, he addressing them directly - (whether they were listening or not!).

Can we learn some thing from this, as postmodern, self-aware, emotionally intelligent, maybe even 'emergent,' Christians? Many of us have fervent mental anvils of change, on which we regularly hammer out our visions of church, and what it SHOULD be, verbally straightening out on it those ways of doing church that don't tie in with our vision. But, are we selective enough in our violence? And are we seeking to engage the systems of Church that we deride?

See, when I read Brian McClaren, I often think "he's got a point." I also sometimes think "did these people run over his dog?" At various points in his books I just think he sounds a bit... well... grumpy.

Similarly, I was surprised when, at a recent event, a prominent emerging church leader described certain leaders in the Anglican church as 'spineless' for not effecting change more quickly. There was certainly some vitriol in the way he said it.

See, where there is hypocrisy (politicking, prejudice, unforgiveness, one-upmanship, power struggles, wanting to own Ferrari's ), let's challenge it, maybe even with Christ-like violence. However, where people are tied into models of doing church that we find, well, wrong; let's be gracious, and love them, ugly hairy moles and all - remembering that we are not hairy-mole exempt (I know I'm not!), and that "in the same way you judge others, you will be judged," (Matthew 7:2)

And, wherever possible and practical, let's engage people. Talking about a person is reactive, easy, and turns people against each other. Talking to a person is proactive, and useful, and takes courage (because - I don't know about you; but it scares the chorizo out of me!). I know this might be impractical when we're talking about global Christian figures or movements, but maybe 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all,' can be a useful tool.

I hope his doesn't come across too critically (or superior): I never want to fight people who, like me, really hunger for change, and relevance, and life and integrity in church, and are too often disappointed by what we see. But, as we break the brittle, sun-calloused soil of religion that's useless and, in some cases, malevolent, let's carefully select what we plough; avoid thoughtless trampling, and pray none of us turn into grumpy, pessimistic old codgers.

D

Going Local

One of the most rewarding things I’ve done recently involved being stripped to my boxers and sponged down, before dancing enthusiastically before an audience who were paying for the privilege of watching. No, I’m not describing some sordid moonlighting to supplement my meagre income – this is actually a scene from Godspell, a musical based on the gospel of Matthew.

I did this as part of a local amateur dramatics company. As amateurs we did it for fun, and loved it, as did the people who saw it (so they told me)! I remember seeing a friend of mine in the (very profound) ‘Frankenstein, the Panto,’ last Christmas, and it was genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Local productions may not yield the most polished performances, but when you know someone, it brings a level of engagement and entertainment you don’t get on the West End.

What’s true of faintly exhibitionistic musicals is true of many local activities – you get the fun of being involved! Whether it’s sports, music, gala-days, barbecues or even political debate, being a part of something local is great! You may be more impressed by the ball skills of the Arsenal defense, but a Saturday-league Dynamo Botley match can be just as exciting, – especially if you’re friends with the team, and certainly if you’re playing. Local activities = involvement = excitement!

So, it’s time for local activities to shed their stigma. A ‘community project’ is more than ‘a diversionary tactic for youths nearing an ASBO’ (although if it achieves this, it’s doing something worthy). Local community activity for its own sake is great – you don’t have to change the world (just your estate/village/gated community!) Local people in local communities – let’s get involved in local things; get to know our neighbours; and possible enjoy ourselves more than we ever expected. Unite! We have nothing to lose but our trousers!