ExploreTruth

So I ran across this quote the other day.  To say the least, it caught my attention.

Tony Campolo, speaking to a group of Christians:

“I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition.

Second, most of you don’t give a sh*!. What’s worse is that you are more upset with the fact that I said ‘sh*!’ than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.”

My first reaction? Honestly?  A silent chuckle & smile.  Then a short moment of alarm.  Then I had to pause to answer the question.  The question that I’m sure you may have managed to ask yourself, after your first reactions to the previous quotation.

Do I give a sh**?  Or am I more upset that this guy just said the “s” word?  Hmmmmm……A part of me wanted to to be offended, not so much about the word, but by the accusation.  I felt like saying, well yeah I care about the poor and starving people everywhere!  Then I started reading some of the reactions left by various blogs, and reader comments, regarding Mr. Tony Campolo’s statement.  On average, most people focused on how unacceptable it was to curse, and even those who moderately agreed with him, still felt the need to focus on how it could have been said differently.  It appeared that fewer felt the need to discuss the part of his statemtn that mentioned the 30,000 kids that die every night.  Now before I start sounding all high and mighty, II? am well aware of how I typically feel when confronted with the plight of others.  Overwhelmed, for starters.  And I hope to discuss this in more depth in another post.  Now, all of this led me to a related thought, and a conversation I have in my head many weekends before church(one of the conversations anyway:-).  I, or some well meaning person usually begins the exchange.  It sort of goes like this.

Me: Let’s go to church.

The other me:  Why?

Me: Because God says do not forsake the assembling of the brethren…etc etc….yadda yadda, etc…

The other me:  What does two or three gathering have to do with Matthew 25:31-45. Gathering is good, but its only a start.  Then, in defense of my laziness, I proceed to go on a paraphrased rant about traditional religious communities having become something other than what Jesus talks about in Matthew 25:31-45, and that he’s all about something much more radical.  Well don’t take my word for it..check it out.

31-33“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. 34-36“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

37-40“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

41-43“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

44“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

45“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

And no, I don’t have that memorized.  Nor do I recite it verbatim to myself or others.  But usually the two me’s or whoever I am talking to, will typically come to some conclusion.  I’ll either stay home, or self talk myself into going to church(the building that is).  I guess the consensus that we usually arrive at, is that we notice that a lot of good takes place between the walls of what is called church, but there seems to be an emphasis problem.  Ironically enough, the litmus test, the measuring stick, that the founder of the movement many Christians claim to be following, uses at the end time, is one of Love in Action.  It’s not even left to our imagination as to what the ticket of entry looks like.

It’s spelled out for us.

Hungry…Thirsty…Homeless…Poor…Sick….Locked up in prison…

Do any of these things take place while I’m at church?  Is this on my agenda during the week?  When’s the last time my church called an emergency board meeting to discuss the fact that corporately we realized that we virtually have little, if any positive influence on the very people mentioned in our tightly clutched bibles.  To borrow Tony Campolo’s statement.  Do I really even give a sh**?

The last thing I’d like to come of as is preachy.  And maybe even worse is finding myself in a situation where my thinking out loud may cause another to feel guilty.  These questions are more an exercise of self reflection for me.  You are welcome to participate with me in the exercise.  So speaking for myself, I’ve realized that when I search my heart, I realize that I really don’t care enough. And the one day of the week that could be most revolutionary for me and for the God I claim to be emulating, is either spent in bed, or in a church building talking & singing about being loving.