The neglect of the saints

The contemporary church’s neglect of intentional spiritual formation into the image of Christ has cost us the kind of witness that early Christians had. In the Northern Hemisphere, it has lead to a serious decline ininfluence and credibility. Consider the difference between the martyrdom ofJames, Paul and Peter in the decade of the sixties and present day luminaries.  They went to their deaths with joy and great courage. Contrary to common opinion, very few ordinary Christians were killed by the Romans. The vast majority were leaders, Bishops and the famous.The apostles and Bishops who were killed faced it bravely, they were wonderful examples of the sacrificial life. They didn’t get rich, they were not paid,they didn’t take advantage of their celebrity. Tradition has it that Peter,Ignatius, Polycarp, and even Paul could of negotiated their way out of being killed, but they thought it beneath them and their example in Christ to do so. We live in a media age, the Christian airwaves are dominated by a circus of strange and extreme characters who have brought much shame to the church. It seems the media has done the same thing to the church that the church has done to the general culture. First we felt superior to the “world”because of our conviction that we have the truth. Second, we separated ourselves from culture in the worse possible way. We created Christian versions of the Boy Scouts, Schools, and an assortment of clubs. But we didn’t leave behind bitterness, anger, lust, materialism, gossip, and a love for the“flesh.” Then we created a “straw man” of the unbeliever, finally we either have judged them through accusatory preaching or ignored them through separation. Yes, there are also good quality Christian preachers on television, but then again some of them pay themselves shameful amounts of money, and live their lives as celebrities. It should be said that for many of them their theology teaches that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. I suppose not many have seen the irony of ministries with such a theology are always in need of money. The point is that the general public just laughs and sees no spiritual reality they can respect. This analysis is not fair to some, but I contend that the most famous of the famous have been corrupted by the culture in which we all live. Since there doesn’t seem to be a priority for intentional discipleship among the most luminous spiritual leaders in our culture, then it isn’t a high priority for the church in general. Our leaders are impatient people driven to “success,” nickels and noses, bodies, and bucks, book sales,et al. Even the hard working parish priest or pastor fights the battle everyday between serving Christ and living for others or push to make the church grow in order to have a bigger ministry. It is tough not to get caught up in the rush to live in the noisy fast lane of spirituality. The forces of culture are confusing, on one hand there is great support for tolerance, equality in race and gender, but on the other, truth as a category has collapsed, so the reasons why we should show grace and dignity to our fellow human beings has disappeared.People in general are still deeply moved by stories of sacrifice and bravery,yet have less good reasons to live sacrificial lives.