Not sure if you watched the special on ABC last night about the Amish teens, but ABC followed 6 of them for a year and watched as they ran away trying to decide if the Amish faith was really for them. It was intriguing to follow these young people on their individual "right of passage" toward personal enlightenment and cosmopolitan discovery. At the same moment the documentary provided a tragic reflection of the two extremes of American Christianity.
By this I mean the perceived polar opposites I've noticed - the baseball, Americana, homemade apple pie, American dream, church as a hobby, "my daddy was a deacon" Christianity; and the buckle of the Bible belt, unfun-damentalist, tee-totaling, legalistic, by the book of the law Christianity.
Both forms are toxic to the Church as a whole and misrepresent what Christ established the Church to be in a broken world. I saw myself to an extent in these teens, who for the majority of their life had lived by the book of the law always trying to follow the rules and make their parents proud. Without the true experience of God's grace as a driving force this lifestyle can leave you feeling burned out and weighed down even with the strongest of family-systems.
And then you see the curiosity rise up - questions are raised - is there more to life than this yoke I have placed on my self, this set of rules and restrictions I have bought into? Sadly many American Christians also reach this breaking point with their faith - they've tried to do all the right things and follow the rules their respective church has laid before them, yet their tank is empty doing what they think in their minds in Christianity. Many give up at this point and explore other things much like these teens did looking in the world to give them that joy and fulfillment that is only found when the vast expanse that is the soul collides with an eternal all satisfying God.
When its finally time for the teens to make their decision about leaving all they've come to know in the Amish faith or venturing out to a new world, a few choose to go back hoping that families receive them with grace and love while a couple others decide to never again live under that lifestyle. It was truly heartbreaking to hear the interview with one of the guys who rejected the Amish faith and was asked what his greatest dream was; he said, "All I really ever want in life is a wife and kids, to live in a nice house and work a good job."
In truth we are all searching for wholeness down deep in that gnawing part of our souls - we can fill it with being a "good" kid, diving into all the appetites of the fun and extravagances this world can offer, or simply pursuing the American dream. When each of these become ultimate to us it distorts our view of reality and our heart knows it! Just take a look at the rat race that is our culture - it proves it - more and more has never equaled true joy. I live in one of the richest areas of the country and yet secretly it could be one of the darkest and most depressed.
It is only in letting go and holding loosely in our hands the things of this world (house, car, family, health) and trusting your everything into the Hands of the One who set our being into motion and breathed the life into us that we now take for granted, that we truly live freely. When nothing is actually your own and you realize God has given you what He wills for you to steward for His Glory and your joy in Him, I can't begin to tell you how life fills with meaning and purpose. True peace finds you in that place. Its this life in Christ, this Christianity, that Jesus preached and lived, that I'm committed to sharing with all who will listen - sometimes the truth can even be seen in the t.v. we watch and the culture we live in if we're willing to look a little closer.
By this I mean the perceived polar opposites I've noticed - the baseball, Americana, homemade apple pie, American dream, church as a hobby, "my daddy was a deacon" Christianity; and the buckle of the Bible belt, unfun-damentalist, tee-totaling, legalistic, by the book of the law Christianity.
Both forms are toxic to the Church as a whole and misrepresent what Christ established the Church to be in a broken world. I saw myself to an extent in these teens, who for the majority of their life had lived by the book of the law always trying to follow the rules and make their parents proud. Without the true experience of God's grace as a driving force this lifestyle can leave you feeling burned out and weighed down even with the strongest of family-systems.
And then you see the curiosity rise up - questions are raised - is there more to life than this yoke I have placed on my self, this set of rules and restrictions I have bought into? Sadly many American Christians also reach this breaking point with their faith - they've tried to do all the right things and follow the rules their respective church has laid before them, yet their tank is empty doing what they think in their minds in Christianity. Many give up at this point and explore other things much like these teens did looking in the world to give them that joy and fulfillment that is only found when the vast expanse that is the soul collides with an eternal all satisfying God.
When its finally time for the teens to make their decision about leaving all they've come to know in the Amish faith or venturing out to a new world, a few choose to go back hoping that families receive them with grace and love while a couple others decide to never again live under that lifestyle. It was truly heartbreaking to hear the interview with one of the guys who rejected the Amish faith and was asked what his greatest dream was; he said, "All I really ever want in life is a wife and kids, to live in a nice house and work a good job."
In truth we are all searching for wholeness down deep in that gnawing part of our souls - we can fill it with being a "good" kid, diving into all the appetites of the fun and extravagances this world can offer, or simply pursuing the American dream. When each of these become ultimate to us it distorts our view of reality and our heart knows it! Just take a look at the rat race that is our culture - it proves it - more and more has never equaled true joy. I live in one of the richest areas of the country and yet secretly it could be one of the darkest and most depressed.
It is only in letting go and holding loosely in our hands the things of this world (house, car, family, health) and trusting your everything into the Hands of the One who set our being into motion and breathed the life into us that we now take for granted, that we truly live freely. When nothing is actually your own and you realize God has given you what He wills for you to steward for His Glory and your joy in Him, I can't begin to tell you how life fills with meaning and purpose. True peace finds you in that place. Its this life in Christ, this Christianity, that Jesus preached and lived, that I'm committed to sharing with all who will listen - sometimes the truth can even be seen in the t.v. we watch and the culture we live in if we're willing to look a little closer.
2 comments:
awesome insight. i believe we've had this conversation before and what you've written was extremely encouraging. love you guys!
I love the new blog! Keep the great post coming! Have a great day.
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