Bonheoffer was not one for shallow faith. I have loved my “dialogue” with the author as I’ve read. What I like the most about Bonheoffer is his exhortation about true discipleship not shallow Christianity. I can understand in a way what Bonheoffer means. Christianity today sometimes appears to me to be shallow and fad-filled. I see this especially among those who have been raised in the church like many of us have. We have been raised in Sunday Schools, we have memorized all the “right” answers but what do we believe? Bonheoffer said,
“With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ” (59).
This, of course, caught my eye. As you can tell this very topic is something I’ve been thinking about lately. What makes my faith authentic? What do I really believe? Do I act and think like I know there is a God who is my father who I am following? In my prayer times do I act like God is listening? No—sometimes I get so caught up in life; I forget the importance of realizing the presence of God apart from my man made well-packaged conception of Him. I grew up in church. I now all the right answers but do I truly believe in God. He is not an abstract, misty man, “up there.” He is not a white-bearded old man sitting on a huge uncomfortable-looking throne. He is God. He is real. He is as real as I am at this moment. He is as factual as the fact that I’m sitting at a computer in the library.
The same goes with Christ. He truly died on the cross for my justification. How real it that to me? You see Bonheoffer is challenging shallow Christianity. No longer is it a question of whether or not you’re a Christian, but rather, whether or not you’re a disciple. It is not until we base our whole lives in these facts, with a reality that can only be known, not just learned, that we can be disciples if Christ. This is challenging. It is rich, and it blows my mind.
P.S. I commented on Chloe's blog
This has been haunting me day in and day out since I read those words. It is challenging, and it is refreshing. I wondered while I read Bonhoeffer if it was possible to be authentic on a Christian campus--mostly because I compare UM to the monastic life at times. It is funny to think about, but we are somewhat it that situation. We are surrounded by believers, but how is our faith being stretched? Is it possible to step out in faith on a Christian campus? I think it is possible, but at what cost? And what does that look like?
ReplyDeleteYou basically just described everything I struggled with in high school. Kids raised in church know everything they need to do to look like a Christian on the surface, but very few know what it looks like to live like a disciple. We've been settling for cheap grace for so long that costly grace seems so far out of reach. Tonight in church our pastor quoted a statistic that said that only 9% of CHRISTIAN, not lost, college students don't believe in an absolute truth. But who can blame the other 91%? Their idea of Christianity is going through the motions to get into Heaven because they've rarely seen true discipleship.
ReplyDeleteThis goes hand-in-hand with my thoughts since Tuesday. Our Christian twist on the American life is not what real faith is. I keep questioning whether or not I would follow Christ in a situation where my faith took any sacrifice greater than what I see now. Real faith in following Christ would have no problem with this, but as I look at my life, it is hard for me to even make time to spend time alone with God because of all the stuff that I fill my time with.
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