Musings on Christian Living

It has been an interesting week for me to say the least. I have learnt quite a lot on Christian living this week. These three events have taught me something valuable:

a) Conversation with my Atheist friend.

At first glance some may label me a 'msaliti' (betrayer) :-) But it's okay, I am learning or rather, re-learning that people are entitled to their own opinion. However, there are some opinions that are better than others . . . Well, before I get derailed, a few things I gathered in our discussions with my friend are: first, at times our actions, motives and virtues are just as crucial as our words and in other cases even better off. I learnt humility this week and realized that at times we don't always have to argue out our cases, as is the custom of us 'fundamental' (Bible believing) Christians as my friend called me. What will differentiate us as Christians in our relationships with other people? Kenya is a country with 80% people claiming they are Christians but our actions have done little to back this up. On the other hand, saying I'm Christian means nothing if my actions do not supplement my faith. James reminds us (James 2:26). We see life with Christ as only a destination yet the fact that it is a journey means that every experience and happening serves to providentially teach us to be more like him (Romans 8:28-29). Second, I realized that we need God's wisdom more than we think we need knowledge. It amazes me more day by day how knowledge is quite vast, and especially knowledge that is based on human tradition and philosophies that are not God-ward (Colossians 2:8). However, God's wisdom is necessary to guide us in our relating with other people in this world of so many clashing or confusing options. See this TED talk by the American Psychologist Barry Scwhartz on the Paradox of Choice. One can have knowledge, but not wisdom, someone once said in a gathering at a friend's graduation. Wisdom is practical. Wisdom is necessary for living an abundant life; A life that is not fragmented into parts, but that is holistic. Wisdom that makes us more human, more peaceable and more Christ-like. (Proverbs 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 1:20, 30, 2:6-8); The implication of this kind of knowledge is rooted in love, not one that puffs up.

b) Conversation with my two Christian Brothers

It seems as if at times as Christians we live dysfunctional lives. In a sense, our spirituality is not merged into our day-to-day practicality of life; into our jobs; into our relationships; into our finances. Maybe it's because in these areas we tend to be safe? In the sense that we are cushioned in our comfort zones. . .  One of my teachers said this statement which has stuck: "Pray as if everything depended on God, and act as if everything depended on you." Most times, we do one and not the other: On one hand, we over-spiritualize things and on the other hand, we depend on our own strength. These are two extremes. Yet the kind of balance implied here acknowledges the Lordship of Christ in our lives as well as our part in utilizing all the faculties given to us by his grace: body, mind and soul, for community (Deuteronomy 6:5; Luke 10:27) This would translate to letting Christ rule in our lives. In our work/calling, working as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Seeing our work as our ministry. Seeing our work as our vocation, our calling. Then instead of fitting Christ into our plans, our plans would emanate from Christ. This would solve our dysfunctional life styles.

c) Small groups

Oh the joy of community. Westernization has eroded the fabric of "we". So we live our Christian life in isolation, we carry our burdens in isolation, we somehow live as if we are in solitary confinement and the few breaks we get only serve to foster our facades . . . Yet I have come to appreciate once more the beauty of community. In fact, the Bible says we are to be vulnerable with each other (James 5:16). Community seems to be the place we are freed to be ourselves and our African tradition seemed to get this right. Many times the Church has failed in creating such a conducive environment for real interaction. Instead commercialization and legalism have only served to alienate us from the truth of community as we see in Acts 2. We have been relegated to spiritual commodities, at times reserved to the boast of our spiritual/religious leaders. I do not mean to say that the Church is perfect: In fact, I like the idea that the Church is a hospital for sinners as much as she is a fellowship of saints, and every time we gather, we gather to be healed by the Physician; with his tools of truth, grace and love and at times discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11) especially when we feel like we are bearing with other people who are different from us - Like sandpaper, it feels rough in the beginning but in time it gives a smoothening effect. Community should provide us with a place to love and care for one another (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 13:1), with our blemishes and weaknesses. I have been encouraged by my other brothers and sisters who are going through the same kind of experience that I am going through, and that our mutual motivation is that we have hope through all of life's experiences (John 16:33) - both good and bad.

In summary, I have been reminded how this experience on earth seems as if we are truly strangers, more so when we behold His face. We don't know how to handle all the situations we find ourselves in. At times in such instances we are tempted to justify ourselves, yet remembering our finiteness and life of the length of a hand-breadth, we should know better.

I have been interacting with the work of Stanley Hauerwas, an Ethicist and Theologian. This quote offers a poignant reflection on these matters: "Crucial to our ability to deal with life truthfully is having the skills to face moral tragedies without developing justifications that become policies of self-deception. The moral life is lived within limits that often severely restrict the ongoing assumption that we wish to do good. I suspect that one of the main ingredients of a morally true life is the discovery that we cannot avoid moral tragedy, nor can we indulge ourselves in stories that absolve or excuse us of responsibility." (Article on The Ethicist as Theologian)

These have humbled me and reminded me that God doesn't need to be explained or figured out. In a sense, it makes my theological reflection seem self-contradictory. Rather, God will use all these different experiences for his good. In truth the only home that is home is in communion with the Father, Son and Spirit, our true family as believers; who is in us and who encourages us and reminds us of our great task and at times, paradoxical journey here in this foreign land. He gives us wisdom to navigate the cultures/ideas/trends/knowledge that many times seem foreign to His inner convictions yet at the same time, He gives us a lustre and flavour to be of some life-giving purpose to this same world - this tent that we are a part of for now. In a special way, what makes me more hopeful even is that when there seems to be many voices, He has not left us abandoned (John 14:17-18; Acts 2:28). And He will express Himself through our uniqueness, flaws and all. These remind me that we can always find solace in Him. In Him. Then in the LORD's arms, we can say with Hauerwas "As for me, however, I am a Christian because I find that the gospel provides skills necessary for me to deal honestly with the powers that grip my life." and I can add "And I am a theologian because I enjoy the life of the mind; thus I find my work to be fun (and 'crazy'). I think I am being honest in saying this, but finally only God knows the extent of our dishonesty, for God alone has paid the price for such knowledge." (Ibid.)