Several months ago, I wrote about why so many young people have dropped out of church lately. Among the reasons I listed were sex abuse from clergy, Christian or conservative talk radio that is malevolent and disrespectful of “the other side,” megachurches that don’t foster community among members, and churches showing political partisanship or endorsing certain candidates as the “Christian choice.”
From the reading I’ve done, I do believe there are some churches that are toxic and people need to GET OUT of them. Take away the preacher’s platform if he’s a celebrity-seeker, don’t participate in or give money to a church that’s dysfunctional or abusive, take your gifts where they will be appreciated.
But ditching church altogether is not the right answer. A society is impoverished without her churches, and her people are worse off in almost every measurable way. Look at the data in this article.
This graphic above is from Richard Beck’s blog entitled “Why Good People Need Jesus” and illustrates the difference between individuals working alone in a society to effect change vs. individuals working in “local mediating institutions.” Beck explains that without churches, good people turn to politics to try to make the world a better place. “This is because, as shown in the picture above on the left, the federal government is the only game in town. And while politics is good and necessary work, politics is soul sucking and life draining if it is the only thing you do.”
Lord, if that is not the truth! I have known a few people who focused on politics as the answer to solving all of life’s problems. They became cynical people who often seethed with hatred for “the other side.” Churches don’t solve all of life’s problems, but they do make significant headway sometimes. Just as importantly, they bring disparate people together to work collaboratively on those problems, people who would not commingle otherwise. This, in itself, helps as much as anything, forcing people to learn civility and (maybe eventually) real love for the “other side.” Churches create deeply-rooted community, not community based on issues.
If the millennial and Gen Z generations direct their community activism and moral convictions and humanitarian impulses simply toward political activism, they will burn out. The Holy Spirit can sustain us in a way that human nature cannot.
As I was finishing this post, Wayne had me listen to this broadcast, “The Church of Social Justice,” from the BBC. It’s fascinating and echoes a lot of what I have said in my blog posts. It’s 37 min. long, so you have to make a commitment to listen to it, but it’s worth it. If you do listen to it, post your reactions and thoughts in the comments below.
