FRIDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2023 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

 FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023 SPIRITUALITY

Mahatma Gandhi “"I like your Christ, but not your Christianity."

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I listened to a podcast a couple of weeks ago (I should go back and listen to similar podcasts).  The speaker (a Christian) asked “When are you going to leave Christianity?”

That was an interesting question.  When are you going to leave Christianity?

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Well, I don’t think I’m leaving Christianity.  You know I like the hymns, the seats, the stained glass windows, the decorations, (and depending on your orientation - even the incense).  

TIME OUT.  You talked of the “trappings” of Christianity - the buildings, the churches, the music - the traditions of “Christianity” - or as some have said “Churchianity”. 

To me - real Christianity is Jesus Christ - with or without a church.  And, that Jesus Christ really didn’t quite establish a church.  Now, that is my belief - but I understand that not all people are Christians - and that’s okay.  I’ve also learned that diversity is a good thing.  (That is, not all people have a background like mine!!!)

Jesus did say this: Matthew 16:13-20

“Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”

—Matthew 16:13–20

Okay, but that was in the first century.  

Now, right after that, Peter went to Rome, started a “Go Fund Me” project, and built St. Peter’s Basilica.  He got a group together to write a bunch of rules - “Don’t do this, do that”.  Kneel, have bells, have incense, have special robes/garments/vestments, and develop a systematic approach to Jesus.  And, of course, only use Latin for worship!!!  (Of course, not).  

This Peter was kind of a wild and crazy guy.  He got out of the boat to walk on the water.  He wanted to put up three tents when it seemed like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus got together and they all shone like the sun.  He said “Heaven forbid” when Jesus said he was going to the cross and die.  

But, this Jesus - just kind of an itinerant preacher roamed from town to town telling stories.  Sometimes the stories hurt.  There was a man left for dead by robbers and Jesus said “Be a good neighbor, take care of him” - but the (gasp) person who did take care of the man was an outsider, kind of a non-traditional Jew (that is a Samaritan).  

He (Jesus) was asked to be part of a mob to kill a woman who (gasp) slept with a man other than her husband.  He didn’t even really solve that, just wrote in the dirt after saying the first person to inflict a blow on her had to be free from sin. (I guess he meant that all people have sinned).

He (Jesus) told a story of a son who took his inheritance and spent it on prostitutes - and how the dad didn’t even scold the son when he returned home penniless. 

He said “Turn the other cheek” when somebody struck you.  He said “Go an extra mile” when forced to carry a Roman soldier’s equipment.  

He got down on his hands and knees and washed some dirty feet.  

And, he said “Love one another”, “Love your enemies”, and “Love your neighbor”. “Feed the hungry”.  “Cloth the naked”, “Visit those in jail and those that are sick”.  

He rode into the capital city on a donkey - not a fancy steed.  

It seems like this Jesus was really a “counterculture” and yet modern American Christianity twists his words and deeds to exclude the other counterculture folks out there.  

What about the homeless?  What about the mentally ill?  What about those who just don’t fit the mold?  What about the “bad” people of the day, the tax collectors?  What about the smelly shepherds and the fishermen?  

He seemed to violate all the conventions of the day.  He wasn’t born in a nice, clean, sanitary hospital room.  He didn’t die a natural death in a hospice.  He was wrongly convicted and got spat upon and nailed to a wooden beam so that people could see what happened if you didn’t follow the rules.

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In modern words, this Jesus seemed to be radical.  He confronted leaders in both the government and the established religious factions.  

Yup - I don’t want to be like this Jesus - He is too far out to be believed.  

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Or … maybe he is too far out to be ignored.

Mahatma Gandhi “"I like your Christ, but not your Christianity."

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I have no idea if Gandhi is in heaven, or Adolf Hitler - not my job to judge and say “yea” or “nay”.  

Back to the original question.  When are you going to leave Christianity?

I’ve had many friends who have turned their back on Christianity.  I think they have turned their back on “Churchianity”.  

What about you?

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, (C), MARCH 3, 2023