Are you a coliseum Christian? I never thought I was. My theology makes sense. But sometimes I’m a cup of sugar short on love. As a result, I run with friends who define the love of God in the same ways I do. How about you?
Where Can You Find a Coliseum Christian?
Scott Sauls introduced me to the concept of “coliseum culture,” in which everyone rallies around a common enemy. Coliseum Christians proclaim judgment on people they see as “unrighteous.” Maybe you have heard people condemn “sinners” who committed adultery, lied, stole, and hurt people. Perhaps you’ve encountered little gossip groups huddled under the guise of praying for wrongdoers. I grew up in a world that condemned drunkenness but never mentioned gluttony.
A person doesn’t have to be wrong to incur the judgment of the holier-than-thou. She can come to Sunday morning worship wearing something that looked like she just threw it on and missed. Perhaps she smells different from you. Then, the man sitting close to the front takes a phone call during the music or sermon. She may ask members for financial help. The list need not be exhaustive. Those who know the right way to do things get upset by those who don’t know any better. And the coliseum culture quickly shouts, “Somebody needs to do something about that.”
Coliseum culture is alive and thriving in our country. Citizens from sea to shining sea ask God to shed his grace on this land. But the same voices struggle to request God’s hand in mending their flaws. Unrestrained people in coliseum bleachers demand self-control in the arena without making the slightest effort to practice what they expect from others. What’s wrong with this country appears to be those who aren’t like “us.” Such comments are especially true if our definition of “us” stands against the deeply held beliefs “they” have. We overlook the effect our personal history has on our biases.
How Do Our Differences Contribute to Cultural Problems?
In our complex world, we face many sociological, philosophical, religious, moral, and spiritual differences. We view life and issues from various perspectives. We believe we are right and want to convince those who don’t think we are to see things our way. They have their minds set. Add a prejudiced attitude to any issue, and words pick up steam. When we raise our voices as we talk, we only hear ourselves. If we don’t like someone else’s tune, we shut them out. Agreement escapes us. So does understanding. If we want to work together for better days, we must close the space between us. Learning to communicate requires listening and talking so we can get to know one another. Still, we may not see things the same way.
Can the Love of God Define Our Relationships?
Jesus once reminded his listeners of the need to love your neighbor as you love yourself. This kind of love is an act of will. We must climb out of the coliseum stands, get in the arena, and try to understand one another. Then we can work toward the well-being of one another. This truth confronts us in our neighborhoods, churches, and society.
E. Randolph Richards relates a powerful story of commitment to close the space between differences.
I was in a village in Borneo, and a single woman in the church was pregnant. The entire church was embarrassed, all the more because a guest was there to see it. It reflected poorly on the morals of the entire Christian community. Since I had seen it, I asked, “What are you going to do?” The elders looked at me, stunned, and said, “She belongs to us, and the child belongs to us, and we will take care of them.” There was never a second in which she was not “us.” She was never without a community. One of their own had stumbled, and the community was gathering around her, helping and restoring her. The church felt more that they had failed her than she had failed them.
E. Randolph Richards and Richard James, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2020), 292, Kindle.
Are there places in your life where you see yourself as a coliseum Christian? Do you stand in the coliseum and cast judgment on those in the arena? What steps can you take to close the space between yourself and those disturbing you?
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How to Recognize a Coliseum Christian
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Posted: November 17, 2020 by Harry Lucenay
Are you a coliseum Christian? I never thought I was. My theology makes sense. But sometimes I’m a cup of sugar short on love. As a result, I run with friends who define the love of God in the same ways I do. How about you?
Where Can You Find a Coliseum Christian?
Scott Sauls introduced me to the concept of “coliseum culture,” in which everyone rallies around a common enemy. Coliseum Christians proclaim judgment on people they see as “unrighteous.” Maybe you have heard people condemn “sinners” who committed adultery, lied, stole, and hurt people. Perhaps you’ve encountered little gossip groups huddled under the guise of praying for wrongdoers. I grew up in a world that condemned drunkenness but never mentioned gluttony.
A person doesn’t have to be wrong to incur the judgment of the holier-than-thou. She can come to Sunday morning worship wearing something that looked like she just threw it on and missed. Perhaps she smells different from you. Then, the man sitting close to the front takes a phone call during the music or sermon. She may ask members for financial help. The list need not be exhaustive. Those who know the right way to do things get upset by those who don’t know any better. And the coliseum culture quickly shouts, “Somebody needs to do something about that.”
Coliseum culture is alive and thriving in our country. Citizens from sea to shining sea ask God to shed his grace on this land. But the same voices struggle to request God’s hand in mending their flaws. Unrestrained people in coliseum bleachers demand self-control in the arena without making the slightest effort to practice what they expect from others. What’s wrong with this country appears to be those who aren’t like “us.” Such comments are especially true if our definition of “us” stands against the deeply held beliefs “they” have. We overlook the effect our personal history has on our biases.
How Do Our Differences Contribute to Cultural Problems?
In our complex world, we face many sociological, philosophical, religious, moral, and spiritual differences. We view life and issues from various perspectives. We believe we are right and want to convince those who don’t think we are to see things our way. They have their minds set. Add a prejudiced attitude to any issue, and words pick up steam. When we raise our voices as we talk, we only hear ourselves. If we don’t like someone else’s tune, we shut them out. Agreement escapes us. So does understanding. If we want to work together for better days, we must close the space between us. Learning to communicate requires listening and talking so we can get to know one another. Still, we may not see things the same way.
Can the Love of God Define Our Relationships?
Jesus once reminded his listeners of the need to love your neighbor as you love yourself. This kind of love is an act of will. We must climb out of the coliseum stands, get in the arena, and try to understand one another. Then we can work toward the well-being of one another. This truth confronts us in our neighborhoods, churches, and society.
E. Randolph Richards relates a powerful story of commitment to close the space between differences.
Are there places in your life where you see yourself as a coliseum Christian? Do you stand in the coliseum and cast judgment on those in the arena? What steps can you take to close the space between yourself and those disturbing you?
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Category: Christian Life Tags: culture, differences, diversity, judgment, love, relationships