Yesterday, I attended a service in the Chicago Temple. The pastor there spoke about a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, titled “Thank Heaven for Lawson.”

After attending the service, I looked up the article. Every inch seemed quote-worthy, so I posted the following quote on a social networking site:

“Much of Christianity in the United States has been more influenced by violence and sexism and racism and greed than by the teachings of Jesus. I am a follower of Jesus. That’s what I’ve called myself for decades. And that is a radical faith that refuses to define any human being or group of human beings as being outside God’s grace.” — Rev. James Lawson

After posting the quote, I received a couple of responses, one of them applauding the quote and further reprimanding modern Christianity for becoming too communal and political. I retorted that Christianity could remain communal if one were following the Bible and the words of Christ. After all, much of the Old Testament is about God’s chosen people (not person), and much of Christ’s gospel message was about loving one another (not being alone). And that’s also what Lawson seems to be getting at.

Modern Christianity, according to Lawson, has (and I insert my own interpretation here) taken the liberty of imposing its own personal prejudices on its religion and on others. Lawson, however, subscribes to a “radical” idea of remaining true to the idea of an inclusive faith, one that does not keep anyone out or away from God’s grace. Here, Lawson was speaking of particularly of the civil rights movement he’s been so closely involved with as well as the modern attitude toward homosexuals in the church. His idea IS one of communal faith. Edwin Markham would agree: “He drew a circle that shut me out: Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win; we drew a circle that took him in.”

Do you think Lawson is out of step with the modern church? Is Christianity a religion that keeps people out or one that draws them in? Is Christianity inherently communal or should it be personal? What would Jesus say?

To read the full article in the Trib, click here.

To learn more about the life of James Lawson, click here.

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