Elephants

Across the western landscape of religiosity, within its structural bastions most commonly known as church, adherents are disappearing. No, the long sought-after rapture has not occurred so much as the depressing reality of this present day not aligning with an outdated mode of addressing the issues common to all humanity. The elephant in the room is that religion, as presented to the western world, is not relevant. Before your knee-jerk tendencies kick in, give me an opportunity to explain a cultural phenomenon which might be behind this.

The “N-word” is a hot topic for a variety of very valid reasons. Socially oppressive stereotypes blast onto the scene whenever the word in issued, in whatever form, verbal or written. Even employing it within this stream will present my entire message, heretofore void of any use of the word, as suspect to nefarious intentions predating my birth. The associations which this one word conjures up in the minds of many are all valid expressions of how this one word holds such a strong sway over the ability to effectively communicate in the world today.

Many have attempted to navigate the rocky shoals of social discourse, both public and private, as this word has been fired over the broad side of our vessel of choice. Social systems have gone out of their way to accommodate the angst of a people who, rightfully, resent the entire panorama of classifications which ensue from this word’s use within the public arena. Great strides have been made from the efforts of those committed to seeking equality among people of varying hues, however, there is a resistance which is unsuspecting. It is founded in the language of the church and has been passed down for more than two millenniums within a single word: redeemed.

I want you to consider this for a moment as the twenty-first century individual that you are – not as the first century person the biblical narrative was written to. When people of faith proclaim that they are, “redeemed by the blood of the lamb,” what is the present-day equivalent to this metaphor? Yes, the claim is a metaphor. It depicts something deeper than its appearance, something which affects the actions and character of people across the sweep of time.

Redeemed. To buy back. There are no shortcuts to the meaning here. An economy of exchange transacted upon a person by two parties. Slavery. Oppressive servitude to one master transferred toward another master for an agreed upon valuation of worth.

The blood of the lamb. Death. Sacrifice of an innocent victim by the hands of a mob, as a political means to maintain class superiority.

Marry them together: Oppressive servitude to one master transferred toward another master for an agreed upon valuation of worth through the sacrifice of an innocent victim by the hands of a mob, as a political means to maintain class superiority. Again, what is the twenty-first century equivalent to this metaphor?

Some of you might think that this description is wholly relevant to the condition of mankind. However, I would suggest that you are merely parroting the constrained language and attending thoughts of the first century. In an era of bullet trains, quarks and quantas, Big Macs and sushi, Ipads and Bluetooth, you can’t come up with anything better? You are calling people slaves, indentured servants to a divine being, in a world where the term is graphically employed against the sex-traffic industry or harkens to an era where the “N-word” prospered.

Relevance does not need to employ outdated concepts to impact a culture. Sometimes you’ve got to simply admit that there is an elephant in the room and you honestly don’t know how it got there. Maybe it’s time that we allow the events of the cross to transcend into the present using language which is more fitting to our times and understandings. The social justice warriors of today, who have already marginalized the institution religion is based upon, will one day return and focus their ire against the implications of redemption and, despite many gyrations as the flailing of a fish out of water, politics will win the day.

It’s time to tell the Story afresh with the compelling and penetrating language of today which will not only tingle the ears but pierce the heart. The sound of the Logos is not constrained until we slacken our devotion to hearken to the voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way…” If there is an elephant, acknowledge it for the benefit of all, but don’t play around with it by trying to have the blind describe it. It annoys the congregation as much as the elephant.