He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or the periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8; NRSV)
The book of Acts is laid out on a geographic trajectory, where the spread of the early Church goes through distinct phases. First, there was Jerusalem, where the faith was born out of the aftermath of Jesus' death and resurrection. However, it soon spread from its original confines to reach larger Palestine and, eventually, the epicenter of the known world--Rome. As for the catalyst for the spread, the reason why the Church morphed from a regional phenomenon to a global movement, Acts strongly suggests that it was not because the Apostles fully understood the divine intentions of Jesus' last words. Rather, Acts suggests that the spread of the gospel was a by-product of Saul's persecution of the Church. For example, Acts 8:4 tells us that the scattered went from place to place preaching. In other words, they were forced to leave, and they took the gospel with them (Saul, even when he was Enemy #1 of the Church, was responsible for the globalization of the Church. Talk about God being the author of history.).
I will admit that episode 7 of NBC's AD: The Bible Continues was a little disappointing. The whole Tiberius visiting Jerusalem, Pilate pleading his case and getting in bed with Caiaphas, Peter confronting Saul in the streets of Jerusalem, Saul pursuing Peter in Galilee and threatening his daughter, etc. was unnecessary, particularly since this was episode 7 of the miniseries and we still have not seen Paul's conversion. Thankfully it will be next week, for there is so much that needs to be covered! However, Philip's interactions in Samaria was a redeeming quality. Yet as I went to bed the issue of the Church's persecution resonated in my mind most loudly. Namely, the role of persecution within the vibrancy of the Church, how the Church defines itself through it, and how the Church responds to it.
Simply put, the America Church is clueless when it comes to understanding persecution. Sure, we read about it in books, even in Scripture, and, from time to time, we watch reenactments of it on television. However, if we are honest with ourselves, people who have grown up in the American Church just can't relate. We live in a country where we have the fundamental right to freely practice our religion, as religion cannot be regulated by the state (I am not going to get into the conversation of "Well we are persecuted in America...there is a double standard.") Perhaps then this is the real tragedy of America's cultural influence upon the American Church--no frame of reference for what it means to be a part of the persecuted Church.
Nevertheless, we are currently living in an unprecedented time, a time when American Christians can obtain a better understanding (although not an intimate understanding) of persecution. ISIS is currently storming through the Middle East, subjecting all to their intense religious agenda and forcing people to get on board. If one refuses, then they are beaten, killed, etc. Sometimes, a mass of opponents are killed and then broadcast across the world via the internet and social media. Americans, at least those that are not living under rocks, are confronted with these realities and can no longer claim ignorance to the struggles of the global Church. More importantly, we are being forced to ponder, "How do we respond?"
I recently heard a very popular conservative radio talk-show host say that he believes that Christianity must become militant (vs. violent...whatever this means...) if it wants to survive. Really? Is this the answer? A militant Christianity? I may not know the answer, but I do not think a militant Christianity is the way to go.
According to Acts, it was the Church's ability to absorb and channel persecutions through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Just as ISIS uses brutal killings as a platform to proclaim the essence of their religion, the early Church used persecutions as a platform to proclaim the essence of their faith. Steven boldly proclaimed Christ as he was being convicted and stoned. Peter preached and was beaten...so he preached some more. Even Paul would be flogged and physically assaulted for his preaching, only to use it as motivation to keep going.
So what is my point? Ultimately, I don't really know. What I do know is that history has shown that something weird happens in times of intense persecution. Persecution is a complex reality, and according to the book of Acts, it was just what the Church needed to get it moving. It was out of this treacherous situation that convictions were strengthened, people empowered, and the community was more precisely defined. Most importantly, seeds of the faith were planted elsewhere, and, given the right circumstances, these seeds would later germinate to produce a fruit that would eventually envelope a vast majority of the world.
From time to time, the Church will face storms. It is a polarizing institution, if you stop and think about it. It was built on the claim that it gets it right where others get it wrong. And when one considers that it confronts people with the intention of re-calibrating fundamental impulses of human existence, the question is not if detractors will come about but when. Violent ones are also an inevitable reality. But let's remember that history also shows us that these storms will not wash away the institution, but rather it they produce something that is more convicted, defined, and driven than ever.
The book of Acts is laid out on a geographic trajectory, where the spread of the early Church goes through distinct phases. First, there was Jerusalem, where the faith was born out of the aftermath of Jesus' death and resurrection. However, it soon spread from its original confines to reach larger Palestine and, eventually, the epicenter of the known world--Rome. As for the catalyst for the spread, the reason why the Church morphed from a regional phenomenon to a global movement, Acts strongly suggests that it was not because the Apostles fully understood the divine intentions of Jesus' last words. Rather, Acts suggests that the spread of the gospel was a by-product of Saul's persecution of the Church. For example, Acts 8:4 tells us that the scattered went from place to place preaching. In other words, they were forced to leave, and they took the gospel with them (Saul, even when he was Enemy #1 of the Church, was responsible for the globalization of the Church. Talk about God being the author of history.).
I will admit that episode 7 of NBC's AD: The Bible Continues was a little disappointing. The whole Tiberius visiting Jerusalem, Pilate pleading his case and getting in bed with Caiaphas, Peter confronting Saul in the streets of Jerusalem, Saul pursuing Peter in Galilee and threatening his daughter, etc. was unnecessary, particularly since this was episode 7 of the miniseries and we still have not seen Paul's conversion. Thankfully it will be next week, for there is so much that needs to be covered! However, Philip's interactions in Samaria was a redeeming quality. Yet as I went to bed the issue of the Church's persecution resonated in my mind most loudly. Namely, the role of persecution within the vibrancy of the Church, how the Church defines itself through it, and how the Church responds to it.Simply put, the America Church is clueless when it comes to understanding persecution. Sure, we read about it in books, even in Scripture, and, from time to time, we watch reenactments of it on television. However, if we are honest with ourselves, people who have grown up in the American Church just can't relate. We live in a country where we have the fundamental right to freely practice our religion, as religion cannot be regulated by the state (I am not going to get into the conversation of "Well we are persecuted in America...there is a double standard.") Perhaps then this is the real tragedy of America's cultural influence upon the American Church--no frame of reference for what it means to be a part of the persecuted Church.
Nevertheless, we are currently living in an unprecedented time, a time when American Christians can obtain a better understanding (although not an intimate understanding) of persecution. ISIS is currently storming through the Middle East, subjecting all to their intense religious agenda and forcing people to get on board. If one refuses, then they are beaten, killed, etc. Sometimes, a mass of opponents are killed and then broadcast across the world via the internet and social media. Americans, at least those that are not living under rocks, are confronted with these realities and can no longer claim ignorance to the struggles of the global Church. More importantly, we are being forced to ponder, "How do we respond?"I recently heard a very popular conservative radio talk-show host say that he believes that Christianity must become militant (vs. violent...whatever this means...) if it wants to survive. Really? Is this the answer? A militant Christianity? I may not know the answer, but I do not think a militant Christianity is the way to go.
According to Acts, it was the Church's ability to absorb and channel persecutions through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Just as ISIS uses brutal killings as a platform to proclaim the essence of their religion, the early Church used persecutions as a platform to proclaim the essence of their faith. Steven boldly proclaimed Christ as he was being convicted and stoned. Peter preached and was beaten...so he preached some more. Even Paul would be flogged and physically assaulted for his preaching, only to use it as motivation to keep going.
So what is my point? Ultimately, I don't really know. What I do know is that history has shown that something weird happens in times of intense persecution. Persecution is a complex reality, and according to the book of Acts, it was just what the Church needed to get it moving. It was out of this treacherous situation that convictions were strengthened, people empowered, and the community was more precisely defined. Most importantly, seeds of the faith were planted elsewhere, and, given the right circumstances, these seeds would later germinate to produce a fruit that would eventually envelope a vast majority of the world.
From time to time, the Church will face storms. It is a polarizing institution, if you stop and think about it. It was built on the claim that it gets it right where others get it wrong. And when one considers that it confronts people with the intention of re-calibrating fundamental impulses of human existence, the question is not if detractors will come about but when. Violent ones are also an inevitable reality. But let's remember that history also shows us that these storms will not wash away the institution, but rather it they produce something that is more convicted, defined, and driven than ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment