Christ in My College Class
January 13, 2024
This past week was a whirlwind of chaos. There were many moments of feeling defeated. I look back on all that happened and have so much gratitude for my people who pointed me to Jesus when I was at the end of myself. And remain so in awe over how the Lord so lovingly aligned exactly what I needed when I was so sure things would continue to spiral. This past week was such a good reminder that I can do nothing apart from Jesus and He is where my strength and joy comes from.
Despite all the crazy, this past week my spring semester at Samford University started! I could have never imagined that the Lord would speak so clearly to me in one of my core education classes. So bear with me here, there will be a lot of digging into and analyzing text from the 1490s and 1960s… but it all comes together and I walked away from class so challenged and convicted. My prayer is that you will too!
In my core texts class, where we study significant texts and their ideas through the lens of their different historical contexts, we read an excerpt from Gustavo Gutierrez’s Toward a Theology of Liberation speech from 1968 as well as The Doctrine of Discovery, 1493. With these two texts we discussed and further studied the timeline of Christianity vs. Christendom from the 4th and 5th centuries through 1971 and the present day. Christendom refers to the Christianity and how it was lived in a specific geographic location. It focused on hierarchy and the idea that it was God’s will for a certain group to be above another. The historical context and location of a people altered how Christianity was practiced and what beliefs were more heavily emphasized. My class also discussed the two missions, the doctrine of discovery mission that assumes conversion, to expand God’s kingdom on earth, is always positive, and the integral mission that focuses on the integration of Christianity into our everyday lives. Below are my notes from class for reference and a visual aid of what I mention next.
After reading The Doctrine of Discovery, 1493, our class discussed the crusades of the 1490s, the attempts to convert all people to Christianity. These crusades were not void of the use of force, and oftentimes torture. How sad it is to think that people were being introduced to the Christian faith in ways that invoked so much fear. The Doctrine of Discovery, 1493 analyzes The Papal Bull issued by Pope Alexander VI, which played a massive role in the Spanish conquest of the New World. During this time in 1493, Pope Alexander VI and the Catholic church argued that their use of brutal power to convert the New World and subdue them to slavery was for their own good, assuming that conversion was always a positive thing despite the method used to force the conversion. I’ll say it again, how sad it is to think that people were being introduced to the Christian faith in ways that invoked so much fear.
Gustavo Gutierrez’s speech Toward a Theology of Liberation explains liberation theology, a Christian movement to freedom from social, political, and economic oppression, and really poses the question, “how are people experiencing Christianity through our body of believers today?” Gutierrez spoke of “existential stance,” challenging believers to view faith as an attitude that can be lived out daily, instead of turning faith into a one-and-done doctrine of checking the box of salvation. He poses the fact that faith requires continuous action and reflection, not just remaining complacent in doing nothing more than securing your salvation. Gutierrez states that because faith is a commitment to God, then “theology is the intellectual understanding of this commitment.” He also reminds us of Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus’ instruction to love the Lord wholly and love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, faith is committing to the truth that God’s love for us demands a loving response! Is my faith setting the example of the two greatest commands to love God wholly and love my neighbor as myself?
Gutierrez also speaks about the here and now. Are we, as Christians, bringing more of heaven or hell to earth in what we do and say in the here and now? In his conclusion, Gutierrez quotes and compares a text by Karl Marx with a passage from the book of Isaiah.
“The social principles of Christianity preach the need of a dominating class and an oppressed class. And to the latter class they offer only the benevolence of the ruling class… The social principles of Christianity preach cowardice, self-hatred, servility, submission, humility– in a word, ail the characteristics of a scoundrel” (Marx).
“‘See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years… They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of My people; My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isaiah 65:17-22).
Gutierrez reacts to the text by Marx in the same way I did and hope you did too… “How could he have presented such an image of Christianity?” In response to the passage from Isaiah, Gutierrez says “This very concrete reality is the kingdom of God… How could this have transformed into what was described in the text of Marx? Unfortunately, both images are true, from different perspectives. Although the messianic promises refer to concrete material things, Marx’s vision of over a century ago continues to be repeated by human beings today. The issue, then, is whether we are capable of realizing the prophecy of Isaiah and of understanding the kingdom of God in its integral reality, or whether we are going to give the counter-testimony that is reflected in the statements of Marx. This is precisely what is at stake in our epoch.”
Wow. How are people experiencing Christianity through our church of believers today? Are we living as the people who serve and love the One who spoke the description in Isaiah? As children of God, mercifully covered by the blood of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, the picture from Isaiah 65:17-22 can be our reality today. In Jesus, the former things of our past do not have to be remembered. We can be glad and rejoice forever because of who He is and who we get to be in Him. We can live wholly in joy. The sound of weeping and crying void of the hope of Jesus can be heard no more. We get to dwell in the house of the Lord and eat of the fruit He bears for us in the abundant life with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Friend. I want this to be what people see of Christ when they see my life. Do you?
Unfortunately, the description of Christianity written by Marx is still being portrayed today. But we get to choose. We get to choose which reality we are going to operate in. I’m so grateful today that the will of God is not solely dependent on me, a sinner, alone. I am so grateful for His loving sovereignty and perfect control to be what has the final say. Though the battle rages on, the war has already been won. Oh, what a truth I want to live out as a reality we can live in today because of the mighty work of Jesus. How are you going to live in a way that speaks the name of Jesus? What vision of our Father are you going to show others as you let your faith remain active in love for God and all of His people?
I love getting to attend a university that stirs my love for Christ. I hope you geeked out like I did, at least a little bit, in getting to look at a small piece of the history of Christianity in a more philosophical way. May we have the eyes to see the goodness of God in everything we encounter!
To my First Love,
I pray that finding the beauty in who You are in even the most simple of our daily tasks would show us more and more of Your goodness and love for us. I pray that You would give us the strength and desire to live in a way that shows the world who our God is. For knowing and experiencing who You truly are creates no other response but to run into Your arms forever. May we be Your hands and feet and live out our faith daily.
Amen