The answer is: No.
We don’t need the Church.
Not if it’s a religious institution that relies on politics and armies to enforce it’s rule. Not if it’s full of legalistic hypocrites. Not if it’s a Civil Rights group too focused on societal ills to address personal morality.
If that’s the church, count me out.
But here’s the thing: despite my American individualistic upbringing and anti-institution punk rockness, I can’t get away from the reality that I can’t do this on my own.
However, in reading the words of Jesus, and the responses of those who knew him best, I can’t avoid two interpersonal truths.
1. Being like Jesus is only seen in how I treat other people. Jesus said that we should (a) love God, and (b) love people. In other words, the best, clearest way to love God is to love people. Therefore, in trying to follow a Jesus way, I’m going to have pour my life into others.
2. Pouring yourself into others tears down interpersonal boundaries. When Jesus’ s friends and followers gathered together on Pentecost, crazy things started happening. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, linguistic barriers were suddenly erased. Then they started sharing all their stuff. Then they started eating with people of different races and classes. For the people that knew him best, following Jesus meant opening your home, your possessions and your daily life to others.
I have experienced community like this a few times in my life. There have been people that opened their homes to me. People that I spent time with every day of the week, whether or not I was fun to be around. Meals eaten in the homes of families from another race. People who, unbidden, have given me cash so I could pay a bill.
There is no good reason to do this, to care about someone outside your clan, or give away your hard earned cash. But it’s what Jesus did.
What I do know is I can’t do it on my own. If this is what Church is, count me in.
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