Authentic Christian

I have spoken with people lately who are seriously desiring to be faithful. The struggle they shared comes down to the question, "What does it look like to be a follower of Jesus in 2011 in America?"

One challenge is affluence. The question I was asked: how can I go to movies and out to eat when people are starving around the world? He already knows the stock answers. She gets that we are saved by faith and not by works. He gets that Jesus calls him to abundant life and deep joy. She knows that she should exude a sense of peace and joy which draws others to Christ through her. Yet there is still a perceived gap between the words in the Bible and the lives of Christians around here.

The issue? How to reconcile Jesus' radical message of self gift and discipleship with the normal lives of so many Christians. What about people who purchase outrageously expensive clothing, cars and houses, yet claim to follow Jesus? What about the cost of "follow Me"? What about the amount of time and energy spent on vacations, entertainment and personal consumption? Can you imagine St. Peter taking two weeks to unwind before his preaching tours?

Once again, there is a balance, but they have a point. Middle class luxury outstrips the wildest imagination of most people in most times and places. We have so much and it takes so much to sustain it. The irony is we do not seem satisfied. The tragedy is so little of our time, talent and treasure are exerted to help others in their lives.

These questions have haunted me my entire life. In my middle years I think I have chosen to dull the sharpness of the call. Perhaps I  have sold out. Perhaps I have given up on solving the puzzle.  Maybe the spiritual malaise leading to the decline of the church in the West is a function of our "overstuffed" lives.

I believe we do need to balance trust in Jesus with obedience. The analogy of the frog slowly boiling to death in water gradually being warmed is a stern reminder. God has not drawn a clear line stating this is how much fun you can have. Here is the maximum you can spend on a car or a house. Here is the percentages you need to give away. There is no handy answer sheet to let us know exactly what to do. And the Bible, for all its worth, sometimes generates more disagreements than clarity.

Other people's struggles can ignite (or re-ignite) my own. Another good reason for community. Accountability! I hope I helped those pilgrims in their journey. I hope I helped them to find a more authenitc expression of faith. But even as I did, I found myself asking the same question. "What does it look like, concretely, to be authentically Christian in this time and place?"