Smells like Teen Spirit…ual Decay

Good Offense Wins Championships: Part 3

Welcome to Part 3. If you don’t get triggered while reading this, we aren’t doing our jobs. And if you do, we still aren’t doing our jobs, because triggering doesn’t pay the bills. Unless you work on The View.

But first - a recap: 

In Part 1, we talked marshmallows, the American church, and the tendency to call something offensive to fit in. Because really - who wants to be labeled as a Christian when you could be labeled as an ally instead? 

In Part 2, we examined the culture around us - an oozing petri dish of  buzzwords and performative outrage. What’s growing there resembles the cheese at the back of my fridge. At this point, we call it “special cheese.”

Spoiler Alert: we aren’t supposed to resemble special cheese.  

Christians are called to be different. In fact, Paul says it like this: we all give off spiritual B.O. (see 2 Corinthians 2:15-16). Some people smell like life - freshly baked bread, new books, woodfired pizza, a Christmas pine. Others reek like Sudsy, the mouse that expired in my garbage disposal. Despite what Christ has done for us, we often end up smelling more like decay than grace. Let’s sniff that out and begin Part 3. (Note, all of that was not in Part 2, but consider it the Part 2 Bonus Track. Just don’t play it backwards).

We have identified two ways that Christians manage offense. One strategy is to use offense as a means to show that we fit into the culture. “We get you and we feel with you.” This approach is socially acceptable to the world around us, and, sadly, often aimed at fellow Christians. “They are so full of hate, and we are the Christians that are full of love. And to show our love for you, we hate those hateful Christians. We even made a t-shirt. And then burned it. In love, of course.” Very John 14 of them - if Jesus had just said, “They will know you are my disciples by how much you distance yourselves from the jerky disciples. I’m talking ‘bout you, Thaddeus.” 

The other strategy is more dangerous. It occurs when Christians don’t wish to fit into the world. Rather, they want to be seen as holy, righteous, and far removed from anything “unclean.” These Christians mask personal offense in the robes of righteous indignation. 

Indignation is anger or annoyance provoked by something unfair, unjust, or morally wrong. Similar to offense, but seemingly connected to something more universal. This isn’t just personal, this is an affront to the laws of God. People who use this strategy are self-justified to respond however they desire since it “isn’t about them,” it’s about justice and judgment. They take it upon themselves to police the offenders. This is the religious spirit, and it smells no bueno (¡Hola again, Latinx readers! Back in the fold.).

If you want to see it in action, look no further than the Pharisees, some pious fellas who hated Jesus because of his flow - flowing beard, flowing hair, flowing Spirit - so they had him crucified. That same religious spirit is alive and well in the global church. It’s one of Satan’s greatest strategies: wrap a believer up in self-righteousness and watch him/her/or the Latinx destroy the church from within. And that’s a great ploy because modern day Pharisees look so holy. So in-touch. So good. But they are special cheese.

The glaring problem with both of the strategies is that Jesus did not employ either of them. Jesus walked among the most offensive people imaginable without needing to fit in or engaging in holier-than-thou posturing or aura farming. Ironic, since He was literally the most genuinely accepting person in every room - and also extremely holier-than-thou. 

Let’s be more like that.

So what to do if you have a religious spirit? Honestly, if you’re reading this and find yourself yawning or inwardly giggling you probably don’t have a religious spirit. However, if you are reading this and you find yourself getting angry - dare I say offended - that, my fabulous Pharisee, is a red flag. God allows you to come to Him and ask questions. You can approach Him. That’s crazy in and of itself - that the Creator of the universe allows you access. Ask Him to reveal areas that you need some spiritual deodorant. “Where do I stink to others and to You, God?” Listen. Ask Him to change your heart. No other person or thing is able to do that. Just one of the perks of being God. Good thing He loves us.

Next stop: Part 4, where we’ll reveal our holey underwear. Spiritually speaking. Mostly.

Sudsy, we barely knew thee. RIP