A Christian missionary conference is not the place one would
expect to see a fight, especially when all of the people there are
respected Christian leaders. But it was at just such a conference I
saw one of the most mean-spirited eruptions I have ever seen. The
name-calling and accusations went on for over an hour, finally
ending so we could go to the next part of the conference, a worship
service.
A Christian missionary conference is not the place one would expect to see a fight, especially when all of the people there are respected Christian leaders. But it was at just such a conference I saw one of the most mean-spirited eruptions I have ever seen. The name-calling and accusations went on for over an hour, finally ending so we could go to the next part of the conference, a worship service.
As we moved into the larger auditorium, I saw the committee chairman from the previous meeting. Just minutes before, he had been spewing venom and threats, but now he stood at the podium with a big smile on his face. He gave a long, flowery prayer, and then said, “The Bible tells us that the identifying mark of a true Christian is love, so let’s all sing that dear old hymn, ‘They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love’.”
I kind of staggered out of the auditorium into the fresh air, unable take any more. This was one of my earliest initiations into the world of inauthentic Christianity. Since then, I’ve learned that such inconsistent behavior is not uncommon. People often live one way when the spotlight is on them and quite another way behind closed doors.
The dictionary defines something as “authentic” when it “conforms to what it is represented or claimed to be.” One of the best Scriptures on authenticity is Philippians 2:1-5, where Paul says, “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, then do me a favor: agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ …”
Authenticity is consistency – between words and actions, and between claimed values and actual priorities. Inauthenticity, on the other hand, is appearing to be one thing and proving to be something else. I once read about a small community that had a giant oak in the center of the town square. It was the pride of all the townspeople. It had been there long before they had been born, and no doubt would be there long after they were gone. Then, one day, storm winds cracked the tree in half, revealing a trunk filled with disease. It had appeared so strong on the outside, but had been very weak on the inside, fooling all its unknowing admirers.
The haunting thing about that story is how the Church today could be in a similar predicament. We appear to be healthy on the outside, but the disease of inconsistent, inauthentic Christianity is eating away on the inside. Few external problems hinder Christianity today.
We have money and buildings, state-of-the-art technology, and top-notch educational institutions, but inauthentic Christian living can negate all these external advantages.
Is it important to understand what authenticity is? It is for me, because I know firsthand how defeating inauthentic living can be. At one time I was going through all the motions of Christianity, but not really connecting with God. I was working hard but sensing neither fruitfulness nor fulfillment. I spoke to others about the priority of marriage, but my own relationship with my wife was falling apart. I loved my daughter with all my heart, but I spent too much time at work to convince her of that. Emotionally, I had some things that hurt me deeply, but when anyone asked, I was “doing fine.” I wanted to be godly and consistent and authentic … but I wasn’t. Like so many people, I talked a good game. But beneath the veneer of my life was the cheap substitute of inauthentic, artificial living.
Over the next few weeks we will expose the dark side of Christianity to the light of Jesus Christ.
Henry Harris is lead pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Rd. in Hollister. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church Web site at www.rollinghillsfamily.com, e-mail
pa*********@ro****************.com
or phone (831) 636-5353.
