Christ Among Men

Even as I wondered what the outcome of the UK election would be, I was more concerned at the implications for religious freedom. The erosion of freedom over the past few years was not just the result of the party in power but goes much deeper into the nature of politics and society. Many remain in authority who have ironically favoured equality enough to persecute dissent, and I am wary of the deals that will be made: what will be sacrificed on the altar of politics? Will religious freedom be a victim? Yet as I ponder the future of this country and religious freedom I am challenged by the words of a man who stood against one of the greatest evils ever known. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote “The Church is nothing but a section of humanity in which Christ has really taken form…What matters in the church is not religion but the form of Christ, and its taking form amidst a band of men”. This is our primary act – to be the vessel of Christ, to reflect Him to the world. Do we do this? Can we say that Christ has really taken form in us? Indeed, do we even know how to tell?

In response to hostility against Christians in the UK, we are seeing a particular focus on legislation and a defence of human rights. This is an important action that must be taken to defend those who are suffering for their faith. However, are we relying too much on a rights based defence of our faith, rights which can be given or taken away depending on the changing judgements of man? Does it speak to a lack of real Christian activity on the part of the church that this is our primary defence? Our gospel is one of freedom, but part of this freedom must be in allowing it to be rejected. It is not a heavy handed gospel and indeed a faith that is forced is not a faith at all. Men and women died at the stake so that we would have the right to choose whether to believe and it is this act of belief, of faith, that Christ calls for and rejoices in. As Bonhoeffer says, the church is not about religion, it is about Christ dwelling amongst men. We must be wary of making our faith about religion, about a set of rules to be guarded and protected. We are to be Christ among men. We cannot stand in our churches or in the public square and demand the superiority of our gospel if we are not prepared to demonstrate that this is still the case. There are many with historical amnesia who deny the foundations of our faith in establishing Western society and much that is good beyond. There are more who would take the benefits of the faith and secularise them, enjoying the benefit of the gospel without the ‘inconvenience’ of God, believing as so many previous failed projects have done so, that man can create a perfect society. Now, I firmly believe that Christians must be educated about the role of our faith in history. How many Christians know about the church’s role in: saving infants exposed to die in ancient Rome, establishing the first hospitals, liberating women, developing human rights and just conduct in war to name just a few? We must know this legacy and be proud of what our faith has given to the world. But we cannot rest on previous expressions and victories of faith for we are expected to win more victories. We are to bring Christ to the lost, the imprisoned and the wretched. We are not meant to defend a religion, but advance Christ among men.

But I wonder whether a substantial portion of the church even knows how to tell if it is representing Christ, and it is the rights based defence, the anger at the treatment of Christians which bothers me because of this. Considering Bonhoeffer’s words again, I wonder whether our reliance on legal rights is a sign of our own spiritual weakness and bankruptcy. I was recently told by a friend of a Chinese church leader who exclaimed to him (my paraphrase) “While you discussed the organisation of the church, we were raising the dead”. What a challenge! When was the last time a senior clergyman in the UK spoke of amazing displays of God’s power? If we focus on our rights and presumed superiority of our faith, then we fail to raise the dead. And this is not just the literal dead; for look around you. Have you noticed the hopelessness, the fear and the death in the eyes of those who walk past you every day? Jesus came to bring them freedom. But they cannot choose what they do not know. Jesus asked us to bring people to Him, not to take religion, not to form religious bands which happily tolerate a Christ-less church, but to be the band of men and women in which He dwells. Jesus’ freedom is not based on legal rights but on freedom of the soul which cannot be taken away by any policeman, magistrate, judge or king. A concern with our rights and freedom does not bring freedom to the lost, but it is displays of the gospel in acts of love and power that bring freedom.

One of the greatest threats to us as a church in the west is our level of comfort. The Chinese pastor prayed to raise the dead, prayers prayed out of necessity. We are comfortable but do we truly live? We have much to satisfy our hunger, much from what we seek to draw life – food, fashion, entertainment, cars, homes, holidays, sports. As Christians we know that only Christ satisfies, but we are not immune to the pull of the flesh, the temptation to seek the world before Christ and most particularly to control our lives rather than surrender them to Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus offers us a river of life, water that we can drink such that we never grow thirsty again. Even as we see the world try and feed its hunger without Him, have we too, in the church grown comfortable to the point that we have lost sight of our need for Him? Are we too used to discussion of church rights and politics and forgotten how to raise the dead?

Let us decide to live by seeking Christ. Sacrifice our comfort and control and then we will know Christ in a way that we cannot even imagine. Then we will truly live and the church will be the form of Christ among men.