Now is the time…

Christians in America haven’t really had to be all that Christian.

Christianity has taken on many forms in this nation. We’ve done the whole Christendom thing, or some variation of it — certainly not to the extent that the Europeans did in the past. Christendom has always been this weird twisting of Christianity with state power that insisted on people acting certain ways and following supposedly Christian laws, which were really nothing more than trying to dictate a morality that some people imposed, usually because they struggled with those very things themselves.

We’ve tried cultural Christianity, which felt like junk food — tasted good initially but was really empty calories and left people hungering.

We’ve tried a version of Christianity that focused on scaring people, using fear, using force. The Puritans were really good at that — it was supposedly religious freedom, but really it was the freedom to impose their religious beliefs on others. There’s nothing free about any of it.

We’re tried a compartmentalized Christianity — where we think we only need to practice the supposed niceness of Jesus on Sunday mornings in our segregated worship spaces, and then set it aside and practice the ways of the world the other 6 1/2 days. All that did was show people that Christians didn’t actually believe what they claimed to believe.

We’re tried a version of Christianity in which we gave all sorts of authority and power to those in charge because they clearly must have some kind of special knowledge or connection to God, so anything they say or do must be right and holy. Never mind the abuse that took place. We’ll just cover that up and blame the victims.

All these forms of Christianity, if that’s what we want to call them, have shown themselves to be completely lacking and devoid of Jesus. And now we have yet another version of Christianity — one interested in imposing its beliefs on others, willing to use force if necessary (that is if the rest of us don’t comply with what they know is best for us). It too will fail. Because it’s not based on Jesus, his way, or what he represents.

If ever there was a time for Christians to actually practice the way of Jesus — this would be it. Now is the time.

So what does it mean to follow Jesus and his way? Jesus’ way rejects violence and the use of force. It rejects manipulation and threats. His way is invitational and welcoming. Jesus’ way doesn’t see…