I’d be interested in getting your feedback on the following
quotes. It’s from famous novelist Ann Rice. She wrote the novel, “Interview with a
Vampire.” A few years back she famously came out with her conversion to
Christianity. Yesterday on Facebook she wrote:
For those who care, and I understand if you don't:
Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always
but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's
simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile,
disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried.
I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.
My faith in Christ is central to my life. My
conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to
an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is
crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers.
Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no
matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.
I cannot even count how many times I’ve
heard something like this in the last several years. These questions comes to
my mind:
1) What should our response be to something like this?
2) Is it a fair
assessment?
3) How can we, as communities represent the real Jesus best in the world so that
assessments like these come less frequently?
PS – Sounds a little different than Ray's quote below – huh?
If you haven’t had a chance to see her testimony, here it is:
http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Anne_Rice/
Dear Rob,
YEs I know I am not speaking Directly to her. Im passionate about this subject,which is why I chose to direct my fustation “at her”.
I understand your comment that the church has been hurtful to many people in many ways. However, We Are PEOPLE!!! Not Christ, not perfect. That being said, The church is the “body Of Christ”. Who are we to make the decision to interupt that, or say otherwise????? The church body is made up of sinners….not Perfect people who are in the club of flawless christians. I think thats what Ann is missing.
Statements like the one Anne Rice made are difficult for me. On the one hand, I’m wholly empathetic: I don’t like the way many represent Christ, the stupid fights they seems to fight and the ways it doesn’t seem to represent Jesus.
But at the same time, I would want to gently correct any sort of idea that we can follow Christ without that group of sometimes very embarassing people. It’s much easier to place the problem in “those Christians” than to identify with them despite our difference, but that I believe is the challenge.
Jesus and the New Testament writers just didn’t seem to leave a lot of room for going your own route. And the crowd tended to be a little on the rabble side, and apparently quite embarassing. As even Jesus describes the Kingdom as a party full of people you wouldn’t want to be caught dead with at a party.
But it also makes me a little depressed. Too often, those who have a prophetic message to challenge us in the faith take the easy route, turn their prophecy inwards and withdraw instead of seeing that maybe their dissatisfaction is actually present to help those who seem disdainful. Being given that sort of prophetic calling sucks, but it is so needed.
Well put Matt.
Anne, nor any of us, have a choice about being part of the church. I think she is saying what many of us are saying. We need to bless Anne and celebrate her popping out of the matrix. unfortunately, she has popped into another matrix. or rather, another corner of the same matrix. Saying I am “in the church” or “out of the church” shows you have not changed your mental model.
So, it is the mental model that is the problem.
If you genuinely live like Anne, and have Jesus at the dead center of your life, you will be drawn into His way and His mission. If you are smack dab in the middle of His mission, then all around you, people will be drawn into the love of Christ, and they will hang out with each other.
People drawn into the love of Christ and hanging out with each other = Anne’s dirty word.
So, for what it’s worth, if we validate Anne’s spiritual movement and invite her to reframe it into a missio dei theological framework, we become an encouragement and “force multiplier” to the genuine life and spiritual maturing that is going on inside her.
In the meantime, her declaration and that of thousands like her helps “the great recycling” that needs to take place in the church anyway.
These are just “top of head” responses, and sorry I have not taken the due time to parse this out better.
You’re right Johnvir. Following Christ is the most important thing…and he was about us, so it does become circular. I just get caught on all the “one another” stuff. How do we do that if we yank out. Perhaps, she isn’t really saying that she is pulling out of true community, just the crazy, nutty stuff that sometimes get peddled as Christianity. The fact is, we all are social screw ups and capable of being crazy and nutty. To live this out we must be with others.
The sadness I feel is, her experience must be quite traumatic for her to come out that strong. I have had those experiences, like everyone else. The Christ and the community often exist in tension – but they do exist.
Although your questions are good, wouldn’t you get better answers by asking those who feel and agree with Ann these questions and to clarify what they mean by “But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.”
Because Jesus purpose was us its almost impossible to follow Jesus and not run into others.
So she is pointing towards “christianity” not defined by heart but by the history, culture and religion. Which I find even Jesus made clear that he was more important the these.
But then we go round and round again.
Thanks Scarlet. I agree with you completely–although people like Westboro Baptist put that to the test.
I hope you are doing extremely well.
I would say in response that Christ commands us to love one another. If all of us wait or wonder around trying to find the nick of the church that most exemplifies Christ, many of us may be wondering many long years. When we choose to stay connected to the body, loving and forgiving in spite of our brothers faults (whether real or imagined!) we begin to truly experience the grace of God. That love, which can only come from Christ, begins to effect both the giver and reciever, and the community begins to transform into the loving and redemptive community which we so have longed for.
Christian communities that we see as being “bad representations” should be seen as opportunities for God to show is patience, grace and mercy.
Dear Beth,
Thanks so much for weighing in on my blog.
A couple of things that might be helpful: First, it seems like you’re writing a letter to Ann. As much as I would enjoy her dropping in on my blog it is very doubtful that she’d see your comment here. You might want to weigh in on her Facebook fan page. You have a better chance to have her read your thoughts there. Secondly, there does seem to be some inconsistency in her Facebook posts. Nonetheless, I feel for her and I hope she discovers a community that reflects the real Jesus.
The bigger question for me is how do we live together as Christians in such a way that people do have an authentic, beautiful experience of faith. The church has been so hurtful to so many people it grieves my heart. All that said, I do see part of the beauty of the church is hanging in with people who aren’t like you, who are difficult, who challenge your paradigms and ways of thinking.
Thanks again for stopping by.
Dear Ann,
I think its unfortunate that someone like yourself, with “followers” of your own would denounce this faith. Christians are people like you, people whom live their life based on their faith in Jesus Christ. I think it shows an incredible lack of wisdon on your part to influence people with such ignorance. God doesn’t call us to be “anti-anyone” He calls us to LOVE everyone as they, for he and he only will be the judge. There are thousands of Christians who believe and live there lives accordanly. The whole idea of “not following the followers” can ring true in ANY “group”, such as your political preference, Democrats (whom you FOLLOW!!!!.) Do you believe every single thing they believe? If you do…then your a 1st. See how your talking out both sides of your mouth? I hope you do…Lastly God does not call us to follow other Christians, only him.