LET’S “DTR” WITH OUR FAITH

“Defining the Relationship” with our faith can be a struggle. You see, Jesus calls us to a paradoxical faith—in, but not of, the world. Christianity has always toed a fine line here: on one hand, we believe that everything we truly need comes from God; we are ultimately reliant on Him alone, and we belong to Him alone. This world is not our home. At the same time though, we are not called to disconnect from the world, but to live towards it. Christianity has never been about becoming a hermit in a cave or a philosopher in an ivory tower; the point of our faith is to be engaged, not aloof.

Maintaining this balance has always been a challenge. Anyone who has studied church history can point to periods in the church where the church was too disengaged. In time, someone comes along and points out the problems and the pendulum shifts; the church begins to engage with the world, but in time, it can become too worldly and lose its distinctive uniqueness. This balance is then called out again and the church swings back towards purity and holiness, only to, in time, become too detached. The way of Jesus lives in the midst of a radical tension.

It seems to me that an often forgotten element is that this isn’t a balance to be maintained in a vacuum; both of these two are meant to flow out of relationship with God. It is our connection with the Father that allows us to live apart from the world. If we truly are living out of our relationship with God, we are sourced from a non-worldly supply. That same Father though, grows our hearts in love for the world.

It is impossible to connect with the heart of the Father and not care about the world, and so while we are empowered to live apart from the world, we are simultaneously compelled to move towards it.

This tension isn’t something for us to carry, it is a tension that lives in God’s heart and one God will grow us into. Invest in your connection with him, and you’ll be in the right place.

Putty Putman

The Vineyard Church

Urbana IL