Jesus wants to save Christians

I started reading Rob Bell’s new book, “Jesus Wants To Save Christians” this week. Like Rob’s other two books, this one reads in a narrative manner that reminds me of a conversation at a coffee shop between two life-long friends. One chapter into the book and I already think this will be my favorite of Rob’s works.

Rob is the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church and his teachings are available in the form of weekly podcasts. I have been a weekly listener for nearly 3 years and remember a series Rob did a year or two ago entitled, “Jesus want to the save the Christians…” During the series, Rob suggested that the teaching of Jesus were often focused on those who identified themselves as religious. Those teachings focused on issues such as greed, love of enemies, and serving others.

You see, as those who identify with religion, Christians are often under the assumption that they would not be greedy, hateful, or proud people. Unfortunately, the contrary is too often the case.

Additionally, far too often, complacency and ignorance are our truest sins. When we shop at stores that sell cheap products made in developing countries by underpaid, overworked people, we are contributing to a system that violets human rights, a system that pays its average store employee little more than minimum wage but whose CEO makes billions a year. When we contribute to systems of degradation and exploitation, we propagate the injustices such a system benefits from.

So what do we do? Boycott? Protest?

Well no, and yes.
No, because boycotts don’t really work and protests rarely bring the attention to the actual matter being protested (the crowd gets the attention instead). But yes, we can do something. We can first stop buying “things” just because we want them. That is a symptom of greed and is something we can do without. We can also find other places to make our purchases. Stores that are responsible and focused on helping others. We can shop in stores that strive to empower instead of exploit, stores focused on helping rather than hurting.

That brings me back to Rob’s book. This is not just a book about economics or systems of power. It is a book about doing what is good, by everyone involved. It is a book about doing that next best thing.

Here is the problem: we (as in Americans) are a part of an empire. We are a part of the system. Capitalism is not the enemy, but it can become a religion when it goes unchecked. In the end, we begin to worship God with words only, and our actions are devoted to the dollar.

This book is about the Kingdom, and a Kingdom ethic of responsibility. It is about the economics of Jesus and the stewardship of those things God has blessed us with. Because, after all, if we are followers of Christ, then we are decedents of the Exile. We inherit the promise of God to Abraham. Specifically, that we will be blessed in order to bless others. This is our promise and our calling. What we have been given is not for us to selfishly enjoy. It is for us to unselfishly share. I am blessed in order to bless others. When we finally figure this out, we will truly begin to help heal our broken and corrupt systems. This is the message of Jesus: you were once slaves in Egypt, but you have been brought out of Exile. Go and bring others out as well.