By Steven L. Shields
A time-honored hymn sung around campfires at church retreats and in prayer meetings is a favorite of mine, as it reminds me of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The primary phrases declare, "Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart; Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart; Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart." Most of us Christians leave those good thoughts on the church's doorstep or at the gate of the retreat center when we return home.
We feel good that we sang the song. But then most of us go about doing the tasks of life much as we have always done. We smugly avoid thoughts, people and places that are "sinful," seemingly forgetful that Jesus was almost always found smack-dab in the middle of all of those.
A Facebook friend posted a meme on her page that reminded me of what it means to be more like Jesus. The unattributed meme listed at least six points, each taken from the Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. Each one of these six points is something that Jesus was constantly doing.
First, hang out with sinners. Second, upset religious people. Third, tell stories that make people think. Fourth, choose unpopular friends. Fifth, be kind, loving and merciful. Finally, take naps on boats. For me, some of these points are easy and have become second nature, while others are not so easy to do.
I still have not figured out the sixth point, although it does sound comforting and peaceful. But here in the giant metropolitan region of Seoul, it is not easy to find a boat that offers the possibility of a nap. Nevertheless, all of us who claim Jesus Christ as our savior, redeemer and friend need to be more engaged with the other five points.
Finding sinners is not tricky. Choosing to hang out with them is tougher. Defining who a sinner is demands a broad understanding of humans. The notion that all are sinners is a Christian precept, but it is easy to hang out with fellow sinners who also attend church. Much more challenging is to choose to hang out with a hardcore sinner, who is condemned vociferously by the vocal Christian conservative lobby.
One must also define "sin" carefully. Just because I think something is a sin, or that my pastor says is a sin, does not make something a sin, nor someone a sinner. However, go ahead, hang out with those people. It's an excellent place to start.
I make a habit of upsetting religious people. I do this mainly by embracing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/transsexual (LGBT+) community and by referring to God in the female gender. Doing either of these things is sure to raise eyebrows and voices among most people who call themselves Christians. I have some other habits, too. My choice of friends can also cause raised eyebrows. The first, second and fourth points are related.
Telling stories that make people think challenges the storyteller a bit, but life's experiences have given me plenty of material to draw on. And thinking is one of the essential tasks of humanness, for thinking is how we engage with society at a deeper level. The "church" also needs to think more and be more thoughtful about its proclamations.
Perhaps the most challenging for me is the fifth point. I want to be kind, loving and merciful, but sometimes such behaviors are displaced by the urgency of raised ire. Kindness and mercy need my constant attention. My days get stressful sometimes; I get tired sometimes. The busyness of the city and the masses of people trying to get from one place to the next can be brutal. Trains get crowded; we scramble for seats and often push through the crowds without being mindful of others' space.
Some time back, I was with a visiting church leader at a restaurant. I gave the server a hard time ― too hard. My colleague, whom I respected deeply, turned to me and said, "Steve, grace and mercy. Brother, grace, and mercy." I have never forgotten his counsel. I work every day to be that kind of person. Although acting with grace and mercy has become easier as time moves on, it remains a matter for improvement.
A philosopher and Christian writer of some note, the late Dallas Willard (professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California), once wrote, "The gospel is less about how to get into the kingdom of heaven after you die, and more about how to live in the kingdom of heaven before you die."
We who call ourselves Christians must spend our lives chasing, embodying and sharing the compelling character of Jesus Christ. Let us not be Christians running from hell or hoping for a future reward. Then we can sincerely sing the lyrics of the song, "Lord, I want to be a Christian, I want to be more loving, and I want to be like Jesus," in our hearts and our actions.
Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He served as a copy editor at The Korea Times in 1977. He is a retired clergyman and president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea.
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We feel good that we sang the song. But then most of us go about doing the tasks of life much as we have always done. We smugly avoid thoughts, people and places that are "sinful," seemingly forgetful that Jesus was almost always found smack-dab in the middle of all of those.
A Facebook friend posted a meme on her page that reminded me of what it means to be more like Jesus. The unattributed meme listed at least six points, each taken from the Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. Each one of these six points is something that Jesus was constantly doing.
First, hang out with sinners. Second, upset religious people. Third, tell stories that make people think. Fourth, choose unpopular friends. Fifth, be kind, loving and merciful. Finally, take naps on boats. For me, some of these points are easy and have become second nature, while others are not so easy to do.
I still have not figured out the sixth point, although it does sound comforting and peaceful. But here in the giant metropolitan region of Seoul, it is not easy to find a boat that offers the possibility of a nap. Nevertheless, all of us who claim Jesus Christ as our savior, redeemer and friend need to be more engaged with the other five points.
Finding sinners is not tricky. Choosing to hang out with them is tougher. Defining who a sinner is demands a broad understanding of humans. The notion that all are sinners is a Christian precept, but it is easy to hang out with fellow sinners who also attend church. Much more challenging is to choose to hang out with a hardcore sinner, who is condemned vociferously by the vocal Christian conservative lobby.
One must also define "sin" carefully. Just because I think something is a sin, or that my pastor says is a sin, does not make something a sin, nor someone a sinner. However, go ahead, hang out with those people. It's an excellent place to start.
I make a habit of upsetting religious people. I do this mainly by embracing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/transsexual (LGBT+) community and by referring to God in the female gender. Doing either of these things is sure to raise eyebrows and voices among most people who call themselves Christians. I have some other habits, too. My choice of friends can also cause raised eyebrows. The first, second and fourth points are related.
Telling stories that make people think challenges the storyteller a bit, but life's experiences have given me plenty of material to draw on. And thinking is one of the essential tasks of humanness, for thinking is how we engage with society at a deeper level. The "church" also needs to think more and be more thoughtful about its proclamations.
Perhaps the most challenging for me is the fifth point. I want to be kind, loving and merciful, but sometimes such behaviors are displaced by the urgency of raised ire. Kindness and mercy need my constant attention. My days get stressful sometimes; I get tired sometimes. The busyness of the city and the masses of people trying to get from one place to the next can be brutal. Trains get crowded; we scramble for seats and often push through the crowds without being mindful of others' space.
Some time back, I was with a visiting church leader at a restaurant. I gave the server a hard time ― too hard. My colleague, whom I respected deeply, turned to me and said, "Steve, grace and mercy. Brother, grace, and mercy." I have never forgotten his counsel. I work every day to be that kind of person. Although acting with grace and mercy has become easier as time moves on, it remains a matter for improvement.
A philosopher and Christian writer of some note, the late Dallas Willard (professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California), once wrote, "The gospel is less about how to get into the kingdom of heaven after you die, and more about how to live in the kingdom of heaven before you die."
We who call ourselves Christians must spend our lives chasing, embodying and sharing the compelling character of Jesus Christ. Let us not be Christians running from hell or hoping for a future reward. Then we can sincerely sing the lyrics of the song, "Lord, I want to be a Christian, I want to be more loving, and I want to be like Jesus," in our hearts and our actions.
Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He served as a copy editor at The Korea Times in 1977. He is a retired clergyman and president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea.
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