evangelism and discipleship in Samaria vs. Babylon

From Tim Stafford in CT...

Stafford opens with a line from Denis Haack-- a film, book, and music critic-- who says that Christians often act like they live in Jerusalem-- even though they live in Babylon. Thus, we are (somehow) surprised when we see a movie that "offends our values".

But then Stafford takes another angle:

We don't live in Babylon. We live in Samaria.

Babylon is far from Jerusalem and doesn't know much about its religion....It's different in Samaria. People there know plenty about Jerusalem's religion (though some of their information is distorted), and have a definite grudge against it.

"Jews do not associate with Samaritans," John says (4:9) in commenting on Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well. The two groups had a long and grievous history, like estranged family members. They had a partly shared worldview (both revered the Pentateuch, though in different versions), a shared point of origin ("our father Jacob," as the woman put it to Jesus), and well-defined points of contention (where should you worship, at Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem?). They knew each other; therefore, they did not associate with each other....

So I sometimes find life in America. The problem is not that my religion is strange. The problem is that my religion is familiar. Like Samaritans and Jews, Christians and non-Christians have a partly shared worldview (our Western traditions, which include the Bible), a shared point of origin (Christendom), and well-defined points of contention (the exclusivity of Christ). We are familiar with what each other believes. We're suspicious of one another. So we start off with a grudge....

Positively speaking, postmodernism stands for the rise of different narratives, diverse cultures, and varied voices. Sometimes, particularly in the university setting, it has given Christians a voice—that of religious passion and experience, if not reasoned theology. For example, you can now get a respectful hearing for Pentecostalism, which was unthinkable under the Enlightenment's rule.

But postmodernism also creates a mood in which any assertion of truth is suspect—especially assertions from privileged narratives. So the claim "homosexuality is wrong" is not heard as a time-honored moral tradition, or as a rational philosophy of human sexuality, or even as a purely personal reaction. It is seen as an attempt to oppress homosexuals.

Postmodern arguments can be illogical and self-contradicting, but they don't claim to be logical. They are suspicious of reason. They are not really "for" anything, except the diversity that may come from a society that defies the power of the privileged....

We tend to respond by keeping quiet, by assimilating, or by throwing down the gauntlet. All three options tend to shut down discussion and to limit our opportunity to be salt and light.

Timothy Keller urges us to find another way..."I don't directly make the naked claim 'Christianity is a superior religion,' and I certainly don't malign other faiths. Instead, I stress Christianity's distinctiveness."

Keller recognizes that certain language pushes the power-and-superiority button at the heart of the Samaritan grudge. We may know the way, the truth, and the life, but what is gained by announcing it so brashly? All conversation stops; the grudge is reinforced....

More than requiring skillful communication, living in Samaria requires patience and love for the long haul. No one can change a grudge by direct assault. You have to outlive it, and look for fresh opportunities to begin anew. You have to love the people on the other side of the grudge.

Jesus clearly did. He honored Samaria for all time when he chose a Samaritan for his parable of neighborliness. (Who do we choose for our illustrations of virtue?) He sent his disciples to Samaria to announce his resurrection (Acts 1:8). Philip the evangelist obeyed and had a great response. "There was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8).

Which suggests that grudges can be undone.