 |
|
|
If I were president, I would declare the Era of Least Christianity. I mean, isn’t that what presidents do? Make declarations and proclamations? “This is the Era of Good Feeling,” declared President Monroe almost 200 years ago. “The Era of Big Government has ended,” was proclaimed by President Clinton. I’ve heard President Obama attach the word Era to a bunch of things: “This is the Era of Responsibility”, “…of Openness,” “...of Civility,” “...of Change,” and “...of Cooperation.” Presidents seem to employ the word Era in the hopes their policy (i.e. legacy), usually well intended, will continue far into the future.
I wonder, too, if we’ve been in the Era of Big Christianity. I mean, the Billy Graham Crusades have filled entire football stadiums bringing countless numbers to the foot of the Cross; Campus Crusade for Christ shares Jesus to college students in 191 countries; Promise Keepers have brought millions of fathers and husbands back to biblical principles; the 10/40 window missions bring the gospel into potentially billions of non-Christian homes; and so many more spirit driven programs have impacted the lives for eternity of multi-millions of people. Some may want to see the Era of Big Government come to an end, but few would want an end to Christ-centered Big Christianity.
As much as Big Christianity is needed and commanded by the Bible, it is trumped by Least Christianity. Don’t know what that means? It’s found in Matthew chapter 25*. Jesus is telling the parable about the sheep and the goats. The sheep go to His right and glory, while the goats go to His left and damnation. Then Jesus states in no uncertain terms why the sheep are being saved: “…‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” (Matt 25:35,36) You know the story. The confused sheep ask Him, “When were You in need?” And I can just see Jesus smiling at them saying, “… Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matt 25:40). This is Least Christianity.
Jesus spent His time helping those folk right in front of Him: the poor, those physically hurting, those mentally hurting, those grieving, those with addictions. Do we know people like the one that Jesus helped? And no, you don’t have to be into Big Christianity to be into Least Christianity. It’s open to all, Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, whoever. Everyone can be kind, caring, and concerned for those in need and bring back the Era of Good Feeling towards our fellow humans.
Oh, and what about the Era of Big Christianity? It should always come as the result of the overflowing of Least Christianity and take second place. Big Christianity might even get bigger if we first proclaimed the Era of Least Christianity.
* All Scriptures from the NIV, 2010
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
|
|
|
