Tidy Little Circles

Christians often tend to reside in tidy little circles where other Christians of like mind are found. We get our ideas reinforced rather than challenged, or, if they are challenged, it is only in a nonthreatening way like on peripheral subjects or, at the very least, in a safe environment. Now, that sounds very "typical," I know. "Yes, you Christians, you just don't consider outside ideas. That's why you're so narrow." But the truth is that I could replace "Christians" with "People" and be equally true. Humans, as a whole, prefer to gather their input from sources friendly to their ideas and get their news from places that affirm their position and spend time with likeminded people. What we generally don't like to do is to wade into combat zones where people with opposing -- especially strongly opposing -- views will take shots at us. Whether it is on philosophy or religion or politics or just about anything, we prefer to stick with our own. It's just safer, and it makes us feel better about ourselves.

I don't doubt that Jesus felt the same way, but it didn't stop Him from hanging out in hostile places. He spent time with sinners who would surely not greet Him with warmth when He urged them to repent. He spoke openly with Pharisees who actually wanted to kill Him. He didn't agree with their views on life and religion, but neither did He excise them. He understood them. Only in that way could He clearly demonstrate why theirs were wrong. Only then could He correctly expose the Pharisees as "white-washed tombs" (Matt 23:27), pretty on the outside but dead on the inside. Only then could He demonstrate His authority to forgive sins through His authority to heal (Mark 2:2-12). Only then could He correctly identify repentance in a sinner versus hypocrisy in the unrepentant (Luke 7:36-50).

It is, in fact, dangerous to leave our tidy little circles of comfort and walk among the opposition. It's not an even battlefield. We will use Scripture and susbsequent reasoning with guidance from the Spirit while they will listen to their deceitful hearts guided by the father of lies. They won't even know they're doing it. We won't survive in that hostile environment on our own merits and abilities, but we're not out there on our own. I'm convinced that Jesus's powerful, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ..." (Matt 28:19) doesn't simply mean "Go somewhere else." I am certain it means "Go next door" or "Go to your friends and family who are hostile to the gospel" or "Go to your workplace" and make disciples. We are promised persecution -- mild or serious -- for doing so, but we aren't doing it alone and we aren't doing it unarmed. We're to be prepared to give a defense for our hope (1 Peter 3:15), to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3) rather than sit comfortably in a safe corner. Obedience can get messy. It can cost you a friendship, a family relationship, maybe even a job or worse. It will also yield great rewards.