–noun
If you've been following my blogs thus far, you may have noticed a running theme in my writing. If you haven't seen it yet, then no doubt you'll get it by the end of this post. The definition above explains my title, ethnocentric. Does it sound familiar?
The first time it ever occurred to me that western culture is such a way when I was reading the book Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. In a chapter where he was explaining the ridiculousness of the "rapture" concept (although it much more eloquent, British language) he said that essentially our brothers and sisters across the pond "scratch their heads" at the American belief in a rapture.
So do I.
This is a small sampling of a much larger picture, and thus, my title comes into play. Anthropologically speaking, ethnocentrism is an inherent component of the human condition.
My school is better than your school.
Our city is better than your city.
Our state is better than your state.
Our country is better than your country.
Our interpretation of the bible is better than your interpretation of the bible?
Yup.
That is something I've been noticing more and more in American Christianity. The idea that we have a superior understanding to all of our brothers and sisters worldwide of the words that came from Christ, the apostles and the church fathers after them. This is evident in the fact that there are over 700 denominations of Christianity in America. Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentacostals... you name it.
It's also reflected in modern-day evangelizing. It's almost like a competition at some level, that we have to beat our doctrinal opponents to the mission field so that our interpretation of the gospel is what gets adopted by non-Christians.
How sad is that?
My understanding of Christianity is that at it's core, Christ was turning the status quo on it's head. He was, in every possible way, reversing the natural order of things. At the heart of Christ's ministry, and the early church was a worldview, a way of life that was totally completely inverted from human instincts and tendencies. By the very nature of being Christ-like, we should be abandoning our habitual ethnocentrism in the interest of spreading the good news. Not our version of it, not our type of religion. We should be sharing the same good news that has been shared historically since the birth of the Christian movement of the first century.
I think the last 235 years of American history have sadly been one of the greatest disservices to the Christian faith. Not because of the "non-Christians" but because of the Christians.
The true message of the gospel is that Christ inaugurated something on a cosmic scale. He didn't just come to redeem humanity. He came to redeem creation. All of it. From an atomic scale to a galactic scale, his interest was everything. Notice I say "inaugurated", his resurrection was the kick-off, now the game is underway and we're all players in it. Being a Jesus follower doesn't mean just saying the "sinners prayer" and then sitting on our thumbs and waiting to be whisked away somewhere else.
No, from the moment we choose to accept the invitation of God's love through Christ then we're also accepting a mission to partner with God in bringing forth the restoration of creation. We're charged with working alongside Christ in seeing that God's Kingdom come and will be done, on Earth as it already is in Heaven.
What does that look like? When we see the tragedy in Japan where thousands have died, many more are displaced from their homes and their way of life, something inside of us should compel us to get our boots on the ground and bring aid.
When we learn that women and children worldwide are being exploited worldwide in human trafficking, we should be chomping at the bit to bring love, justice and liberation to those that have been oppressed and abused.
When we meet someone who has a story of abuse and betrayal, we should sit with them and hear their story (whether they actually speak it or not) and then be willing to join them on a journey of restoration.
These are Christ in true form. This is Christianity at it's best, it's brightest.
When I think of fundamental Christians waving their picket signs that say "Turn or burn" on them and shouting into bullhorns that "the unsaved will burn in hell for eternity", I want to apologize to everyone within earshot, because that's not who Jesus is.
May we rally together under Christ in a faith that is self-sacrificing. May we no longer look at ourselves and believe that we "get it", that we are superior to the rest. May we shed the deeply rooted bigotry, closed-mindedness and arrogance that our culture is immersed in.
May we return to our roots that began with Christ and the apostles and re-learn what it actually means to be a follower of Jesus.
Very inspiring!
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