In my experience, hypocrisy is one of the leading reasons people give for why they aren’t interested in practicing religion. The people who seem to be the most devoted don’t actually practice what they preach, and statistically, religious people aren’t all that “better” than non-religious folk. On the one hand, the hypocrisy is certainly evidence. On the other hand, perhaps it speaks to an even deeper, more troubling issue: given the history of the Church, does Christianity really have the power to transform people into more mature, humane human beings? Did Jesus ever encounter anything like this? If so, how did he respond?
Thomas Auld was a slave owner. One of his slaves was none other than Frederick Douglass, who recalled the time early in his life when, at a Methodist evangelistic camp meeting in 1832, his Master experienced a Christian conversion. Douglass had hoped that the conversion would “make him more kind and humane.” Instead, Douglass writes:
“If it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways.” Auld was ostentatious about his piety—praying “morning, noon, and night,” participating in revivals, and opening his home to traveling preachers—but he used his faith as license to inflict pain and suffering upon his slaves. “I have seen him tie up a lame young woman, and whip her with a heavy cowskin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm red blood to drip; and, in justification of the bloody deed, he would quote this passage of Scripture — ‘He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.’” – Brian McLaren, Do I Stay Christian? 75
How is it that a person can experience conversion to Christianity and become even worse than before, even justifying increased cruelty? What exactly did he convert to? Of course, regarding slavery and race, Christians have not spoken with one voice. The Deep South – still today the most religiously active part of our country – when post-Civil War Reconstruction ended, nearly all momentary advances for equality were retracted, and were replaced by Jim Crow laws that treated African Americans as anything but equals. In the earlier 1900’s political Progressives weren’t really interested in humane advances that went beyond their particular race. Women and children were given protection not because they were seen as equals, but rather because they were seen as weaker in every regard from men. Child labor laws were enacted, as well as the 8-hour workday for women, in part because Christian pastors and theologians spoke into it. In time, however, as political conservatism joined religious conservatism – largely using fear of socialism gone awry witnessed in WWI – the church went largely silent. The Civil Rights movement, while it eventually garnered support from more mainline Christian traditions, were vehemently opposed in Southern Baptist and other Evangelical churches in the South.
McLaren wonders how an alien might interpret the data regarding the effectiveness of Christianity where it is practiced most ardently. What should we expect in terms of overall community wellbeing where Christianity is in the air with a church on every corner? The five most religious states in the United States – Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas – rank among the lowest in terms of longevity of life, education, happiness, median household income, and among the highest in teen pregnancies (McLaren, 79):
Today, Christianity is more identified with being opposed more than being “for”. Anti-abortion. Anti-LGBTQ. Anti-Racial Equality. Anti-Environmental Protections. Anti-Women. Anti-Immigrants. The list goes on and on. If you have not been frustrated by such realities, I bet you know someone who has. No wonder people are not just leaving their churches – they are leaving the faith. They likely agree with Mahatma Gandhi: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ... Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians – you are not like him... Live like Jesus did and the world will listen.”
If you are frustrated by the hypocrisy of so many self-proclaimed Christians in the past and present, I’ve got bad news for you. More hypocrites are born every second of every day – you will be frustrated on this note for the rest of your life. And, even worse, at some point you may even realize (because someone brought it to your attention) that you are a hypocrite in someone else’s eyes. Gulp! We are human beings. Every organization of human beings acts like human beings. It sucks. You are in good company in your frustration, however. Jesus himself was disgusted with the hypocrisy he saw in the Jewish leadership of his day. The entirety of Matthew 23 is one long rant where Jesus probably crossed over the “appropriate” line, calling out the corruption he saw that was not aligned with the Abba he knew God to be. Within 38 verse chapter, he called these leaders hypocrites six times, offering support for his accusation at every turn. The problem of hypocrisy existed before Jesus’ day, in Jesus’ day, all the way to today, and will continue through every tomorrow. Jesus knew about it, did not ignore it, and called it out. If you’ve been frustrated with hypocrisy and untransformed devotees of Christianity, you are in good company indeed.
In one particular setting when a large crowd was following him, Jesus took a preemptive approach to limit potential hypocrites (Luke 14:25-33 NLT):
“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
In light of Jesus’ demand, who among us would claim to be a disciple? If you are like me, you recognize that you have missed the mark and are as susceptible to hypocrisy as anybody else. Jesus was likely using hyperbole here, yet his words are still startling, and bring us into clarifying sobriety. Statements like this move me to ask serious questions about my life, my values, my goals. Questions like these:
· Do I even know what Jesus did with his life to address the greatest needs he saw? Am I doing much of anything to address the greatest needs around me? Even to care enough to find out and pray?
· How did Jesus stand up for those who were being mistreated? How am I?
· How did Jesus discover the heartbeat of Abba that guided his steps? How do I?
· How did Jesus show love and grace to people who didn’t get much love and grace? Who are those people in our time and place? How do I show them love and grace?
· How did Jesus speak truth to power? How do I?
· How did Jesus offer his life in service to others? How do I?
· How did Jesus place himself in community? How do I?
· What additional questions arise for you?
These questions are penetrating, each one revealing that I may not be the disciple I wish I were. Yet it doesn’t mean we stop moving forward. And it doesn’t mean we don’t call out egregious fouls when we see them. It does mean we walk humbly as we learn every day how to follow the Way that leads to life – for ourselves and everyone else.
Walter Rauschenbusch was a pastor, theologian, and seminary professor who spent his life in service to Christ over 100 years ago. He and his colleagues were pastoring in and around Hell’s Kitchen in New York City, where horrific working and living conditions were normal for the thousands of immigrants who lived there. There were no child labor laws yet; no hour limits for workdays, no protection for employees in that time ruled by social Darwinism. At the end of the 1800’s, the United States was in its Gilded Age. While the extremely rich flaunted their affluence, those under their employee starved and suffered. Rauschenbusch and his colleagues spoke against such things. The Church was a mixed bag when it came to social justice concerns (as it has always been). But for his season of time, he and others like him helped move the needle in the direction of the Divine Commonwealth Jesus came to proclaim and nurture. He himself had encountered Jesus’ Abba, and it forever shaped his heart. Here is how he describes following the Way of Jesus toward The Blessed Life:
The main thing is to have God; to live in God; to have God live in us; to think God’s thoughts; to love what God loves and hate what God hates; to realize God’s presence; to feel God’s holiness and to be holy because God is holy; to feel God’s goodness in every blessing of your life and even in its tribulations; to be happy and trustful; to join in the great purposes of God and to be lifted to greatness of vision and faith and hope with God – that is the blessed life. – Walter Rauschenbusch, The Culture of the Spiritual Life, 1897
May we find ourselves walking in the same direction, experiencing the same reward.
An Adapted Lord’s Prayer:
Our loving, supportive, holy Abba
Who art here and everywhere,
Thy Divine Commonwealth come.
Thy will be done through us.
We are grateful for the gift of food
and work for all to eat their fill.
May we work for a world
where mutual grace and respect abound,
modeled after You.
Strengthen us for the work we’re called to.
Amen. May it be so.
