Don’t Be a Bystander

A few days ago, a friend posed some questions in response to one of my posts:

• What is Christianity?
• What part of Christianity are you fighting for?
• How are you fighting for Christianity?

Christianity is about following the way of Jesus. 

The best way of Jesus can only be understood in contrast to the way of Empire. When the early followers of Jesus proclaimed Jesus as Lord, they were making the statement that the way of the Most High God was not the way of tyrants. 

Christianity is much more complex than that, but this is the simple definition I have for the purposes of this post. 

Not all who call themselves Christian are interested in following the way of Jesus. Many have been misinformed by pastors, pundits, and politicians who married Christian imagery and language with Empire. Some of this has been innocent, the blind leading the blind, but much of it has been deliberate. 

I am fighting for the part of Christianity that pursues the way of Jesus.

When I started to thinking about the final question and what I’m doing to fight for the way of Jesus, I realized that many of the things I’m doing align with the “Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” found in Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny.

If you have not read it, please do. 

I believe that some of the pain and grief that we feel now comes from the knowledge that liberal democracy has failed us – people voted for this. 

Tyranny is here and it was the corruption of Christianity that gave it oxygen and is fueling it. Therefore, I believe that reforming Christianity is a necessary component to restoring democracy. This is not about converting people and you don’t have to be a Christian to help reform it.

I thought it would be a good exercise for me to go through each of the lessons and commit myself to what I’m doing and share it, one for accountability, but also to invite you to join me or consider what you’re doing.

Don’t be a bystander.