"Holiness doesn't stop with our own condition but carries over into actions that affect the world around us. ... This is why the Church's mission is to make visible God's invisible Kingdom in the world. Since God lives in the midst of His people, we in turn are called to share in and reveal His loving character to our neighbors. We are to bring God's holiness to bear in every area of life. This understanding of holiness has moved Christians through out history to some of the greatest advances in human dignity and freedom"
~ Colson and Fickett, The Faith
I have been thinking about the role of causes lately. Canadian rockers Nickelback sing about causes in their hit If Everyone Cared. This song is now being used as background music for causes such as ending . Then there is the recent African aid trip of George W. Bush and rocker activist Bob Geldof. Did you read the fascinating exchange between the world's most powerful man and the world's most famous activist in Time magazine?
As I blogged about on the Point, I believe what gives causes traction is a search for meaning.
But are causes the answer to meaning?
Christians are into causes too. What should motivate Christians to engage in causes?
Colson and Fickett address that topic in their chapter titled Be Holy -- Transform The World. They connect holiness to social action.
Followers of Christ are called to be holy. Being holy does not mean being perfect. It does not mean following a bunch of do's and don'ts. Being holy means becoming transformed into the likeness of Christ. It is the process of sanctification.
After conversion, a person begins the process of growing in grace. Through union with Christ, our thoughts, desires and lives are transformed. We gain a new mind. We learn to see the world the way Christ sees the world. We learn to care about the things God cares about. We learn more and more just about how big our sin is, and how big God's grace truly is. We learn what it means to be a living sacrifice as described in Romans 12.
As transformed people, we live out our lives in a way that connects with those around us. We are to bring seasoning and light. We model what God showed us. As Colson and Fickett remind us using scripture, 0ur covenant keeping God "pitched his tent" among us and dwelled with his people. God sent his son to be flesh and dwell among us. Likewise, we are to "pitch our tents" with those in a hurting world that needs hope. We are to be incarnational in the sense that we are to be relationally connected with a purpose -- that purpose is loving people the way Christ loved people. That includes speaking the truth and demonstrating love by meeting needs. It includes caring about what God cares about. That means caring about justice and defending those who cannot defend themselves. It also means caring for who Colson calls, "God's favorites": the poor, the destitute, the widowed, the fatherless, the sick, prisoners and anyone who suffers injustice.
We engage in what looks like causes to the world. However, it is really just a logical outworking of becoming holy -- becoming Christ-like.
For the follower of Christ, engaging "in causes" is nothing more than part of sanctification. It is part of growing in grace. It is part of becoming holy.
Mr. D.,
Perhaps to sum up the difference between why Christians should pursue causes and why many, including Christians, actually do pursue them is to say this. Christians should dedicate themselves to causes as a way of being obedient to God. Whereas, to many of us, as you suggest, dedicate ourselves to causes in search for meaning; or maybe just for self-gratification.
Whatever cause we are considering participating in must be subject to our prayers for guidance, and they must be measured against our primary cause: sharing God's love and forgiveness.
One point in your post above that I am somewhat uncomfortable with: "God's favorites." I realize that comes from Colson and Fickett and that I don't have the full context. I'm also aware of many passages in the Bible referencing God's favor for a particular person or people, but in the end I don't believe God measures us by our wealth or poverty; rather, He measures us by our heart and faith.
--matt
Posted by: matt curtis | March 04, 2008 at 18:16
"I'm also aware of many passages in the Bible referencing God's favor for a particular person or people, but in the end I don't believe God measures us by our wealth or poverty; rather, He measures us by our heart and faith."
I would say he measures us by the righteousness of Christ based on Christ's finished work on the cross, actually. I agree with your point though. God's favorites is a poor way to describe passages such as Matt 25:35-40. Colson and Fickett can do better.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | March 04, 2008 at 18:48