This is a paper I wrote this week trying to reflect on the visits of Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, and Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God Beyond Harvard:
Uncounted go the many that at points in their life experience Christ and connect with Him on a real level, but fall away over time or over an experience. A distinction exists between a believer in Christ and a disciple. Called to make the latter, the former have not been convinced that what they know if enough to change their behavior. Kelly and David both had great insight to the discipline of discipleship.
Many people believe that Christianity is ‘watered down regular life.’ From their observation, they probably have witnessed many true examples of this. This week Andy provided an unbelievable backdrop and in some ways road map for one being wholly consumed by something, thus rejecting anynotion of watering down. Andy began by noting how the common Christian worldview of the beginning and end of times perplexingly seems to have some piece or pieces missing. One missing antidote or vision, he asserted was the eternal longevity of culture. His functional definition of culture is what humans make and what human make of the world. Citing Isaiah’s account of theend of times and the new citywhere human accomplishments, i.e. ships of Tarshish, are noted as present, he built a case for culture being eternal since it showed up beyond the grave. If culture is eternal, then our labors as humans are given a new context for meaning. For example, if the architectural style of a building is now part of eternity, our vocations are given great dignity. The premise is not our human wisdom elevated and now able to strike awe into those beyond death, rather our human efforts inspired by our divine nature and creation are literally bringing God into our world with what will continue to give God glory in the age to come. This perspective on culture awards an honor to something which was formally labeled as secular and perishing, and Kelly gave some great foundational thoughts for creating culture and helping humans flourish.
Also, a great discouragement to humankind is failure. Failure is useful in many cases, but should not be our goal in life. The same goes for the ill-equipped follower of Christ attempting to loyally pursue the call given to makes disciples of all men. This place in the universe I like to call ‘ good intentions gone awry,’ because it is here that a pattern of a well intentioned disciple trying to manifest Isaiah blank to a fallen world and miserably failing begins to emerge. How many times have we desired to connect with the coworker, friend or colleague and felt powerless? Kelly provided her insight of how to bridge the gap between our care for others and an actual engagement and connection or conversation with another about real, non-superficial issues. Our posture of listening drastically helps begin this the process of engaging with other people. Approaching others in humility, or what she called creative naivety, does not guarantee anything but greatly increases your chances for a moment of genuine conversation and questioning. This has been such an encouragement, because I have felt the greatest intentions accompanied by brilliant failure many times, and her relational insight brings along with it hope. Hope to fulfill the call of our hearts and the hope of bringing thelight of the Gospel into dark, hurting hearts.
I believe both these insights are lasting pillars for discipleship. Requiring us to help others understand how the call of Christ not only requires our entire submission but depends also on the entirety of our being for the role God has created for us. So not only do we find freedom in full submission, but we find great purpose in a wholly consuming vision of creating culture through our talents. Fully called, we are also given insight and tools to allow this fullness to interact with others as we learn to sincerely and keenly listen to them.
This is a high call for those who follow Christ but it is freedom and it embodies how the truth will set us free. There is a sense of awe associated with human beings flourishing. We notice when others are living at a level close to the maximum. We revere them; we aspire to be like them; we wonder and are perplexed at what is different about them; we want to know how to be in a place like them. Christ’s call is high and discipleship is connecting others to that call. Both Kelly and Andy called on the depths of knowledge to unveil foundations of Christ’s call.
