Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Stuff Christians like #77


Offering a safe approach to life.


Erwin McManus, an author and minister at Mosaic in California, has this theory that second generation Christians leave the church because they’re offered a boring faith. The life their parents offer them with God is dull and monotonous and vanilla. Whereas the world is seen as fun and wild and an adventure. I think he’s right. Somewhere along the way Christianity turned into the “safe approach” to life. What was once wild and free and raw in the Bible became kind of domesticated. Look at the biggest Christian radio station in Atlanta. Their motto is “Safe for the whole family.” They don’t focus on the quality of the music or the enjoyment you’ll get from listening to the station. They just tell you that if you listen, everything will be safe. I don’t want my faith to be that way and I don’t think God does either. Love is a dangerous idea. Grace is a dangerous idea. Forgiveness is the kind of idea that will mess your life up, for the better, but there’s nothing safe about loving your enemy. That’s what I want for my life. Let’s not be safe. Let’s be real and raw and alive.


http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2009/03/500-lists/

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