All you need is love, RIGHT?

Sherri Langton wrote an article, “Breaking out of the Christian Ghetto,” in an effort to relieve that guilt of being stuck in an environment that was solely Christian.  She makes comparisons of the “ghetto” and the subculture known as Christianity.  For those unfamiliar with the term, the Christian Ghetto is a slang term used by many Christians to describe much of popular, mainstream Christianity.  As the word ghetto would imply, Christians have isolated themselves from the world, and have created a distinct Christian culture, with its own language (Christianese), its own music, its own clothing, literature, films, TV, etc.  The Christian Ghetto results from a mentality that sees any exposure to the non-Christian world as defiling. But perhaps most of the Christians stuck in the Christian Ghetto are there unintentionally - they simply spend too much time with Christians, and take in only Christian music, television and media.

Although it may feel comfortable to stay within our Christian "shelter", this mentality has devastating effects on the Church and evangelism particularly in the arena of love.  
This approach makes it practical and even acceptable to practice exclusivity further perpetuating the stigmas of Christians are "stuck up."  It lends to a practice that is counterintuitive to the essence of Christ’s message and life.  If we are to change our love ethic, we must model a life that reflects the one who gives life.  John 15:9-11:

 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

I suggest that our love must be shaped by Christ in that we must be connected with Him as the true vine and we are the branches.  In Kingdom Ethics, Stassen and Gushee state that, “Love is the norm of life. (328).”  If not defined, love will take on its own identity shaped by life experiences that vary from individual to individual, and the need for the Christian is to have a love ethic that reflects Christ.  If love is the norm of life, then I propose that we are to become the agents of love for our society.  We don’t look for the society to set the standards of love, but love is replicated because of our connection to the vine thus we bear fruit that resemble the vine.

Not quite the "Golden Rule" we ought to practice!

The Outsiders Interviews provided me some insight as to how to approach this principle of “love is the norm.”  But how do we apply this love ethic?  The interviewees mention on a number of occasions that Christians come off as unloving and even one “outsider” stated the many don’t reflect the teachings of Christ about love.  Simply put, they wanted those who would listen just to show love.  In their words, “try following the golden rule.”

Although I disagree with Stassen and Gushee about the incompleteness of “love as equal regard,” I do believe that bears greater consideration.  One of the interviewees, Klarisa, tells the story of how she faced with a tough decision, have an abortion or keep the baby and raise a baby addicted to crack.  When confronted by “Christians,” she was condemned to hell, told that she would "burn" for killing a baby (I'm sure this helped build a case for Christ in her heart), and many other names.  She reflects on a friend who was also a Christian that listened to her concerns and even listened to this decision she was faced with.  Klarisa states that this Christian friend was there for her even going as far as going with her to the clinic to have the abortion.  Although the friend was pro-choice, she was not beyond being there.  And I believe the practice of the love ethic means to be there.  Stassen and Gushee got it right by stating, “Love means that we value all persons equally...”  I’m sure being there with Klarisa during the abortion was uncomfortable, but Klarisa is now considering being a Christian because this friend placed value on the person above the act of the person.

Relationship is an essential element of the love ethic.  The essence of false religion is a Christian being involved in religious activity while being void of spiritual intimacy. It is exemplified by a person having a ritual of religion without a relationship with God.  Christ broke the mold and caused a paradigm shift!  He modeled this principle of relationship in that he immersed Himself with the marginalized by being there and relational with the people.  “Christ acted with mercy toward outcasts, fed the hungry, healed the blind, taught the way, forgave the guilty, set his face toward Jerusalem and died at the hands of the Roman imperial administration,” Stassen and Gushee explicates.  As they continue, this was done to reconcile a community.  Andy Stanley writes in The Grace of God, rules without relationship equal rebellion, and Jesus understood this principle.  This is where I believe that church come up short.  We are big on rules, small on relationships.  The practice of the love ethic makes justice a necessity and not a luxury.