Salt of the Earth

Progressive Christianity

“And so the choices are to abandon the idea of claiming Christ altogether to avoid being deemed hateful by association in the eyes of so much of the watching world—or to reclaim the name Christian so that it once again replicates the love of Jesus in the world.”

John Pavlovitz (The Kind of Christian I Refuse to Be, Stuff that Needs to Be Said, October 21, 2016)

John Pavlovitz writes, “I am still a Christian...” in spite of the bad name Christianity has gotten in the last few years for being intolerant of the very people Jesus came to bless. I haven't lost my love of Jesus' teachings but I find myself having a harder and harder time calling myself a “Christian” simply because of what that means in this part of the world—which is intolerance of anyone different, refusal to allow in the immigrants from the parts of the world that aren't Caucasian, and support for doctrines of exclusion of the LGBTQ community. For a religion based in compassion, forgiveness and inclusion, the modern church seems to have turned its back on the teachings of Jesus. What happens when you take Christ's teachings out of Christianity?

When I read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, I am reminded of the major teachings of Jesus—blessed are the poor, the peace-makers, the down and out, the merciful, the reviled. Nowhere in there does it recommend rejection of anyone, nor does it indicate a preference for people who are white and well-to-do. In fact, Jesus told the rich young man to go and sell all he owned and give the money to the poor. At any rate, I have a deep respect for religions that include rather than exclude those who need it most.

I had the good fortune to attend several of John Pavlovitz's sessions at Wild Goose Festival in 2018. He is what we now call “a Progressive Christian,” which is to say, one who still upholds the teachings of Jesus to care for the poor, free the prisoner, feed the hungry, welcome the foreigner, show mercy to all. I stand with John. I want to be a Progressive Christian, too. How about you? Are you still the salt of the earth?

                                                        In the Spirit,

                                                           Jane