When I was growing up in what I now recognize as an evangelical-leaning United Methodist congregation—at least in our youth group—the focus was on the heart.
We often heard Psalm 51:7:
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(NRSVUE)
We sang, “Change my heart, O God” and gtalked about personal transformation–our own and others’. Conversion was the goal. I even remember hearing that “the church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members.”
In those days, we steered clear of anything that felt too political. Faith was personal, heart-to-heart. The mission was to change lives through love and grace, not laws and policies.
A shift
I don’t see that same focus in the church today. It seems that conversion has been traded for legislation. And that troubles me.
Rather than winning hearts, many in the church seem more interested in wielding power. Rather than inviting people into a transformative relationship with Christ, they push for laws to enforce a version of Christianity that feels more like nationalism than faith.
If we truly believe that Christianity is about being changed by the grace of God—and we still believe that, right?—shouldn’t we be leading with love? Shouldn’t we be ministering to others, not shouting in protest? Shouldn’t we be welcoming, not excluding?
The Wesleyan Way
John Wesley offered a beautiful definition of what it means to be Methodist:
By Methodists I mean, a people who profess to pursue (in whatsoever measure they have attained) holiness of heart and life, inward and outward conformity in all things to the revealed will of God; who place religion in an uniform resemblance of the great object of it; in a steady imitation of Him they worship, in all his imitable perfections; more particularly, in justice, mercy, and truth, or universal love filling the heart, and governing the life.
(‘Advice to the People Called Methodists,’ emphasis added)
That’s the Christianity I recognize. That’s the faith I want to follow–universal love filling my heart and governing my life..
I understand that my view of Jesus may differ from that of many Christians in the U.S. today. And that’s okay. But surely we can agree on this:
Christianity cannot be legislated.
Conversion cannot be mandated.
Renewed hearts come through love and sacrifice—not power and coercion.
A different Law
The Bible reminds me,
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(Jeremiah 31:33 NRSVUE)
May we return to the law of love–and step away from laws of power and exclusion.