The organizer of a large conference invited Brian McLaren to introduce a guest speaker. At least that’s what Brian thought. You should have seen the shock on his face when he learned at the last moment that his task wasn’t just to introduce the famous author and speaker Peter Senge. He was about to interview him!
Brian welcomed Dr. Senge, who helped the conversation begin by posing a question of his own: “I thought I’d begin by asking you all a question: why are books on Buddhism so popular, and not books on Christianity?”
Brian stumbled and then recovered to let the guest respond to his own question: “I think it’s because Buddhism presents itself as a way of life, and Christianity presents itself as a system of belief. So I would want to get Christian ministers thinking about how to rediscover their own faith as a way of life…”
Christianity began as a way of life to which Christ called his disciples. Still today, following Jesus involves more than just adhering to a set structure of propositional doctrines. While those can be important foundations, the teachings of Jesus emphasize how we should live.
The theme verse for Park Avenue Church of Christ this Sunday morning contains these early words of Jesus: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Kingdom, nearness, repentance, belief, good news — we’ll explore these as we rediscover the life to which Jesus calls us, and you’re invited!
Question: How many Buddhist hospitals are in Memphis, Tennessee? / How many Christian hospitals are in Memphis, Tennessee?
Good observation, Paul. Healthcare certainly is an arena for kingdom living.