August 30, 2013
Another generation is coming of age in which many or most individuals have practically -- if not literally -- no church in their life experience. I stipulate this as fact number one and, as Dickens' narrator says, "This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate."
I put it this way to counter a typical pessimism, or resignation, that I meet in regards to church-going today. We hear about certain past times being a "Golden Age" -- and we also hear that this hindsight is false, and that there is no golden age. But if there were, I choose to believe we are in one now because of fact number two:
People are as spiritually-minded as they have ever been. In part, I say this because I don't think people have ever been less spiritually minded in one age or another. There may be certain individuals or groups who exhibit little to no spirituality. There may be cultural phenomena, such as television, -- made prominent by the such materialistic groups -- that make materialism seem rampant throughout society. But society is an artificial construct. Only the individual is real.
For me, only God is real, and man is his image and likeness. As Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health, "Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." What makes our age golden to me is that man's inherent, spiritual nature has not changed, and never will.
To go from an absolute of man's inherent spirituality as God's image, to a relative position of a society with decreasing church experience, I must admit that an innate spirituality is always at work, is always seen in a craving for goodness, peace, and purity.
Political movements have so far shown themselves incapable of satisfying these cravings, or of engendering a peace-making society. Political activism has done much to breed a divisive, antagonist, and dysfunctional society, and little if any to foster the ideals it preaches. It is within this constant repetition of spiritual failure by political movements throughout history that the true meaning of church has an immediate opportunity -- a golden opportunity -- to succeed where true religion always succeeds. And here I must address terms:
The word "religion" is an immediate turn-off, as much or more than the word "church." In my experience the overwhelming -- perhaps unanimous -- opinion of those I encounter is a perceived lack of individual sovereignty inferred from these terms. Historically, there is merit in making this claim. For centuries, the church was the state, itself...and an oppressive one.
I am a Christian Scientist, and subscribe to the definition of church in Science and Health that calls it "the structure of Truth and Love." Our golden opportunity is to exemplify this. Truth and Love do not proselytize, they do not pass moral judgments, they...well, look, Paul covered all this in I Corinthians 13. The point is we have such a huge opportunity to reach this generation and give them the opportunity to satisfy their spiritual cravings. We can't personally satisfy them, but we can be the part of society that best understands them and is the best friend to these individuals.
But we have to agree to the two facts I present at the beginning, and we have to commit to doing what it takes to be the true friend to these spiritual seekers. So far, we are best at being friends only to ourselves. And, as Jesus put it, even the publicans and sinners do that. We can do more. So much more.
Another generation is coming of age in which many or most individuals have practically -- if not literally -- no church in their life experience. I stipulate this as fact number one and, as Dickens' narrator says, "This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate."
I put it this way to counter a typical pessimism, or resignation, that I meet in regards to church-going today. We hear about certain past times being a "Golden Age" -- and we also hear that this hindsight is false, and that there is no golden age. But if there were, I choose to believe we are in one now because of fact number two:
People are as spiritually-minded as they have ever been. In part, I say this because I don't think people have ever been less spiritually minded in one age or another. There may be certain individuals or groups who exhibit little to no spirituality. There may be cultural phenomena, such as television, -- made prominent by the such materialistic groups -- that make materialism seem rampant throughout society. But society is an artificial construct. Only the individual is real.
For me, only God is real, and man is his image and likeness. As Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health, "Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." What makes our age golden to me is that man's inherent, spiritual nature has not changed, and never will.
To go from an absolute of man's inherent spirituality as God's image, to a relative position of a society with decreasing church experience, I must admit that an innate spirituality is always at work, is always seen in a craving for goodness, peace, and purity.
Political movements have so far shown themselves incapable of satisfying these cravings, or of engendering a peace-making society. Political activism has done much to breed a divisive, antagonist, and dysfunctional society, and little if any to foster the ideals it preaches. It is within this constant repetition of spiritual failure by political movements throughout history that the true meaning of church has an immediate opportunity -- a golden opportunity -- to succeed where true religion always succeeds. And here I must address terms:
The word "religion" is an immediate turn-off, as much or more than the word "church." In my experience the overwhelming -- perhaps unanimous -- opinion of those I encounter is a perceived lack of individual sovereignty inferred from these terms. Historically, there is merit in making this claim. For centuries, the church was the state, itself...and an oppressive one.
I am a Christian Scientist, and subscribe to the definition of church in Science and Health that calls it "the structure of Truth and Love." Our golden opportunity is to exemplify this. Truth and Love do not proselytize, they do not pass moral judgments, they...well, look, Paul covered all this in I Corinthians 13. The point is we have such a huge opportunity to reach this generation and give them the opportunity to satisfy their spiritual cravings. We can't personally satisfy them, but we can be the part of society that best understands them and is the best friend to these individuals.
But we have to agree to the two facts I present at the beginning, and we have to commit to doing what it takes to be the true friend to these spiritual seekers. So far, we are best at being friends only to ourselves. And, as Jesus put it, even the publicans and sinners do that. We can do more. So much more.